The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), through the State Mercantile Society of Agrarian Infrastructures (SEIASA), has signed today in Zaragoza an agreement with the Community of Irrigators NºV of the Bardenas Irrigation to complete the integral modernization of these irrigation by means of an investment of 30,600,770.42 euros (VAT not included), within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan Phase II (PRTR).
The event was attended by the government delegate in Aragón, Fernando Beltrán Blázquez. “Fortunately, when a Recovery Plan was launched in Spain, it was decided to improve the productive sectors, especially the primary sector, so that its viability and innovation are guaranteed,” he said.
The main objective of the “Project of integral modernization of the Community of Irrigators NºV of the Riegos de Bardenas (Zone 2) (Zaragoza)” is to replace the current network of dilapidated and with significant losses, with a modern pressurized system with which 3,585 hectares will be irrigated, all of them in the municipality of Ejea de los Caballeros in Zaragoza.
SUSTAINABLE FARMS AND POPULATION FIXATION
The works will include the execution of a large capacity regulation raft, the installation of a network of pressure pipes to the plots and a remote control system that will allow the irrigation to be automated and managed remotely.
The aim is to modernise the infrastructure in order to make the farms sustainable, avoiding their abandonment and desertification, while at the same time establishing and recovering population.
These actions, corresponding to Zone 2 of the Irrigated Community, will complement another modernization project that is contemplated with funds from Phase I of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan in Zone 1, supposing the integral modernization of the irrigated area.
The “Project of integral modernization of the Community of Irrigators No. V of the Irrigation of Bardenas (Zone 1) (Zaragoza)”, has a budget of 26,500,000.00 euros (VAT not included). It covers 3,714 hectares and will benefit 247 irrigators in the municipalities of Ejea de los Caballeros, Biota and Sáabas, in the province of Zaragoza.
Together, both actions add up to an investment of 57,100,770.42 euros (VAT not included) in this Community of Irrigators.
Both projects are part of the “Plan for the improvement of efficiency and sustainability in irrigation” of the PRTR promoted by MAPA through SEIASA, so they are co-financed by Next Generation funds of the European Union.
The public-private nature of these funds means that the public contribution will be a maximum of 80 percent of the cost of eligible expenses, while the communities of irrigators and users subject to the action, will contribute the rest. The works must be completed by 2026.
340 M€ IN INVESTMENTS IN ARAGON
Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is planning an investment through SEIASA of more than 340 million euros in Aragon.
Through the traditional agreement, through which MAPA regularly commissions the execution of irrigation modernization works to SEIASA, the planned investment amounts to 121.62 million euros for 7 modernization actions.
In relation to the irrigation modernization works of the “Plan for the improvement of efficiency and sustainability in irrigation” included in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Spanish Economy. Phases I, II and III there are another 9 actions scheduled, with a total budget of 218.47 million euros acting on a total irrigated area of 34.471 hectares and benefiting more than 3.191 irrigators.
The government delegate also recalled the packages of measures for the agricultural sector launched by the Ministry of Agriculture. In Aragon, more than 120 million euros are received to counteract the conditions arising from the drought or the war in Ukraine. “There are factors that are difficult to control, but the Government of Spain has committed itself to an unquestionable deployment,” he said.