The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has today celebrated the act of handing over to the Community of Irrigators of Molinar del Flumen the new infrastructures included in the works of modernization of irrigation, worth 10,420,321 euros.
This action benefits 351 irrigators who cultivate 3,643 hectares in the municipalities of Barbués, Sangarrén, Torres de Barbués and Almuniente, in the province of Huesca, and is financed from the European funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR).
The event was chaired by the general director of Rural Development, Innovation and Agri-Food Training, Isabel Bombal, and the president of the irrigation community Molinar del Flumen, José Ángel Lample. The president of the State Society of Agrarian Infrastructures (Seiasa), Francisco Rodríguez, was also present.
The aim of these works is to improve the energy efficiency of the irrigated area. To this end, a pumping station connected to the electricity network has been built, which supplies the pressure necessary for efficient irrigation and has made it possible to eliminate the use of diesel engines.
In addition, a remote control system has been implemented, which represents considerable progress in improving the management of water use. Several environmental measures have also been carried out, such as the implementation of a capacity and quality measurement station for irrigation return waters and data control, such as the concentration of nitrates or the temperature of the dewatered flow.
These modernization works are included in the first phase of the “Plan to Improve Efficiency and Sustainability in Irrigation”, framed in the Recovery Plan carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
65.24 MILLION EUROS IN THE IRRIGATED ZONE
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has so far allocated a total of 65.24 million euros for 5 actions in this community of irrigators, through Seiasa.
The latest phase III operation is currently under way. It involves the implementation of a boundary raft and a pipeline from the pumping station executed in phase II for the irrigated area on the right bank of the Flumen River.
These infrastructures will make it possible to reduce energy costs on the farm, by allowing water to be pumped to the cota domain pond in the hours with the lowest electric rate and stored for irrigation by natural pressure without time limitation.