Not only will current crops be lost, but future planning is at risk
The president of the channel’s irrigation community, Josep Maria Jové, has explained in statements to TV that he considers the harvest of fruit trees “totally lost” this season due to the “dramatic situation” caused by the drought. Jové has estimated the affected hectares at 7,000, 2,000 of them cereal and 5,000 fruit trees. Jové recalled that from the 2nd it will be specified how much water each irrigator will be able to spend until the month of September.
“They have shut off our water from one day to the next, we are all surprised because it had never happened”, admits Albert Balcells, farmer in Arbeca who uses water from the canal. The purpose of the restriction is reach the end of the campaign with the minimum amount of water possible. Many of the crops are considered lost and the main intention of the farmers is simply to prevent the fruit trees die.
If this happened, the economic losses they would be even more serious than expected, since the purchase of a tree represents a long-term investment. cannot be compared to a annual harvestdetail farmers. Balcells planted olive trees last year: “They are young trees with shallow roots.. With the heat it’s doing, if I don’t give them water soon, they’ll die easily.”
the never seen
In recent weeks, the extreme drought is hitting the counties of Lleida and to the area of urgell. The Ebro Hydrographic Confederation has declared the exceptionality in the Segre basin. And after the anticipated end of the campaign in the Canal d’Urgell, a historical and unprecedented measurenow it is the Segarra-Garrigues Canal that modifies the planning for the first time since its existence.
Starting next Tuesday, water will be offered depending on what each irrigator asks foralways thinking about this salvage irrigation and the monthly volume that can be consumed will be reported. No water will be supplied to no crops that have been planted since April 28.
“We will still be able to collect some fruit, but little and of poor quality”
Albert Balcells, farmer
The amount of water stored in the system Oliana Rialbin the event that it does not rain in May, it could not guarantee agricultural use for crops, because before there are other priorities such as the populationthe cattle survival on the farms. Then there are the trees, which are more important than cereal crops, since they cannot be left to die.
Balcells he is so worried that he Tuesdaythe first thing you will do is urgently ask for water. To save your olive trees you will need more water than to keep the older trees alive. And the crops, can they be saved? “The ones of cereals are already lost almost all. Those of us who have woody crops will still be able to collect some fruit, but little and of poor quality. We are going to a minimum “, he laments.
thwarted plans
You have already assumed that you will lose money and, like the rest of his companions, he is waiting for possible help can come from the administration. The current harvests are not the only thing that causes concern: “I had a prepared lands to start watering the next season and planting almond and olive trees. Now, If they don’t assure me the water, I’m rethinking it“.
“The first thing I will do on Tuesday is ask for water to save the young olive trees”
Albert Balcells, farmer
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His case is that of many other farmers. “Recently, I uprooted several trees that had already been productive to plant others. Since we don’t have water, I will not be able to go ahead with the planning“He also warns that the trees that do not die and survive will suffer great stress that will not help for future productions.
The decision to close the channel for a few days it is taken with the full storage points. But even so, the supply can only be guaranteed for the immediate months, for this reason the irrigators anticipate and limit already irrigation. If new contributions arrive (with possible rains in May) they will be used to supply the irrigators who have suffered the most from the lack of water.