The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), through the State Commercial Society of Agrarian Infrastructures (SEIASA), has today concluded two agreements with representatives of the irrigating communities of Ruijas-Ebro and Villamoñico-Revelillas, located in the Cantabrian municipality of Valderredible, to allocate, together, 2,000,000 euros (VAT not included) to modernization actions in these irrigations.
Both projects are part of the “Irrigation Efficiency and Sustainability Improvement Plan” of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan Phase II and will involve the modernization of 696 hectares that cultivate 202 irrigators in the Cantabrian municipality of Valderredible.
The signing of the agreements, between the president of SEIASA, Francisco Rodríguez Mulero, and the representatives of the irrigating communities of Villamoñico-Revelillas and Ruijas-Ebro, Roberto Fernández and Heraclio Gómez, respectively, has been presided over by the delegate of the Government, Ainoa Quiñones. Guillermo Blanco Gómez, acting councillor for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Cantabria, has also attended.
After the event, Rodríguez Mulero recalled that “the Government of Spain considers it essential to continue modernizing and digitizing Spanish irrigation, a task that constitutes one of its great bets and for which important investments are being allocated within the framework of the Recovery Plan: 704 million euros in 82 actions that should be ready in 2027”. It is, he stressed, “the greatest support for the modernization and digitalization of irrigation in recent decades.”
For her part, the Government delegate in Cantabria has praised that the execution of these “two important projects” are aimed at “modernizing the irrigated area and improving the water and energy efficiency of the irrigation” of the southern area of the Autonomous Community and include the construction of facilities with renewable energies, according to the requirements for the application of the European Next Generation funds.
WATER AND ENERGY MODERNIZATION
The “Project of installation of solar panels for pumping and installation of hydrants with remote control equipment in the Community of Regantes Ruijas-Ebro, T.M. Valderredible (Cantabria)”, corresponding to the first of the agreements signed today, has a budget of 1,739,000 euros (VAT not included) and will benefit 189 irrigators who cultivate 481 hectares.
The action includes the improvement of the irrigated area by installing photovoltaic solar panels for the existing pumping and the improvement of hydrants for the measurement and management of the volume of irrigation water.
With this project, an improvement in energy efficiency is achieved along with the implementation of new technologies and the application of binomic water pricing, which also encourages more efficient use.
On the other hand, the “Project to improve water harvesting and installation of hydrants with remote control equipment in the Community of Regantes Villamoñico-Revelillas, T.M. Valderredible (Cantabria)” is budgeted at 261,000 euros (VAT not included) and plans to modernize 215 hectares corresponding to 13 irrigators.
In this case, water catchment works are planned to improve the existing intake points and also on the hydrants of the current irrigation network to increase their efficiency in the measurement and management of volumes.
With this project, irrigation water is managed at plot level, also applying binomic pricing, allowing a more effective management model.
All actions included in the “Irrigation Efficiency and Sustainability Improvement Plan” of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan are co-financed by Next Generation funds of the European Union.
The public contribution will be a maximum of 80 percent of the cost of eligible expenses, while each community of irrigators will have to contribute the rest. In addition, the works must be completed in 2026.
| “Irrigation Efficiency and Sustainability Improvement Plan” of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan Phase II | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CANTABRIA | |||
| Community of Irrigators | Budget (VAT no inc.) | Hectares | Regantes |
| C.R. Ruijas-Ebro | 1,739,000 € | 481 | 189 |
| C.R. Villamoñico-Revelillas | 261.000 € | 215 | 13 |
| TOTAL | 2,000,000 € | 696 | 202 |
SEIASA is an instrumental company of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, for the modernization and consolidation of irrigation that has been declared of general interest and that meets the conditions established in the National Irrigation Plan or legislation that replaces it.