The Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food, Bego\u00f1a Garc\u00eda Bernal, visited the construction site of two irrigation modernization projects being carried out by the Ministry in Cieza this Tuesday. The combined budget for these projects is over \u20ac8 million. She was accompanied by the Government Delegate in the Region of Murcia, Mar\u00eda Dolores Guevara, and the Mayor of Cieza, Tom\u00e1s Rubio, among others.<\/p>\n
The secretary first visited the La Serrana-Los Albares irrigation community, where a 1,878.2 kWp photovoltaic solar plant is being built, along with the installation of two energy storage systems and an artificial intelligence (AI)-controlled system.<\/p>\n
The works, which cover an area of 1,341 hectares and will benefit 450 irrigators, have a budget of \u20ac7,623,000, financed by the central government (80%) and the irrigation community (20%).<\/p>\n
"We are changing the irrigation model to a pressure pipe model, which will significantly reduce costs for irrigation communities," Bernal told the media.<\/p>\n
The president of the La Serrana-Los Albares irrigation community, Manuel Mart\u00ednez, thanked the central government for the project, which will "optimize production costs."<\/p>\n
"This will mean that this pumping station, which raises water to a height of approximately 180 meters, currently costs between 25 and 30 cents, will be cost-free," he said, emphasizing that the facility will be "a breath of fresh air" for farmers in the area.<\/p>\n
And, he said, "we are on the brink of a precipice, with rising costs due to labor and many things that are not our responsibility." "Let's see if this way, with enough water and using this type of infrastructure, we can get out on the edge," he stated.<\/p>\n
The Secretary of State and the Government Delegate then went to the Central Users' Board of the Northern Vega del R\u00edo Segura, where they presided over the ceremony to hand over the new irrigation facilities to the irrigators, which had a budget of \u20ac435,600.<\/p>\n
Specifically, the works, which covered 4,643 hectares and benefited 930 irrigators, included the construction of a 272.6 kWp photovoltaic solar plant with an annual self-consumption production without surplus of 421.1 MWh.<\/p>\n
All the works in the plan are financed 80% of the total by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, and the remaining 20%, plus VAT, by irrigators. Currently, the Spanish Government is investing 1.335 billion euros in 96 projects across the country.<\/p>\n
"Irrigation modernization is a strategic plan for the country because it makes this the present and future for improving farm profitability," commented the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food.<\/p>\n
Asked about the Tajo-Segura water transfer, Bernal said that this matter "is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food," but rather of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (Miteco).<\/p>\n
"However, it must be said that the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MITECO) is investing \u20ac600 million in this community, in the entire desalination plant project," he stated.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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