The signing of the agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, through SEIASA (Sociedad Mercantil Estatal de Infraestructuras Agrarias), and the irrigation communities of Formentera and Porreres is the starting point of Phase I of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), which foresees the execution of the projects for the modernization of sustainable irrigation in these two places. The agreement, which was signed this Tuesday between the heads of SEIASA and the two irrigation communities at the Government Delegation, involves the investment of 8.48 million euros for the optimization, digitalization of the management and improvement of the quality of regenerated water for agricultural irrigation in Formentera and Porreres, which will be financed with Next Generation funds.

TDB keeps you informed. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

The Councilor for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mae de la Concha, attended the event and remarked that “it is a fundamental plan at a time of climate crisis and in an island territory, like ours, in which we cannot run out of water”. “It will have a double impact: on the one hand, it will improve the water of the wells, because they will no longer be used so much, and on the other hand, we will avoid that the regenerated water ends up in the sea and can be used for agricultural irrigation,” he explained.

The act, presided by the delegate of the Government, Aina Calvo, consisted in the signing of the agreements between the president of SEIASA, Francisco Rodríguez Mulero, and the president of the community of irrigators of Porreres, Juan Mora Adrover, and the president of the community of irrigators of Formentera, Rita Costa Ferrer.

Porreres and Felanitx

The ‘Project of modernization and consolidation of irrigation from the optimization of reclaimed water in Porreres-Felanitx’ has a budget of 7,420,000 euros (VAT not included), will affect 211 hectares in these two municipalities and will benefit 32 irrigators. The objective of this aqueduct is the use of reclaimed water for irrigation from the WWTP of Porreres and the WWTP of Felanitx, with the communication of these with the existing regulation pond in Porreres, to subsequently pump the water to the irrigation network. Water management will also be improved through the digitalization of irrigation by installing a remote control system.

Sant Francesc de Formentera

The ‘Irrigation consolidation project based on the optimization of regenerated water on the island of Formentera’ has a budget of 1,060,000 euros (VAT not included) to modernize 82 hectares in the municipality of Sant Francesc de Formentera, and will benefit 75 irrigators. This action foresees the improvement of water quality through the improvement of the reuse of regenerated water. It will also increase the efficiency of pumping from the pond to the plots and will optimize, as in the case of Porreres, water management with the digitalization of irrigation through the installation of a remote control system.

The investments of the irrigation plan are of a public-private nature. The contribution of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) will be a maximum of 80% of the cost of eligible expenses, while the irrigation communities and users will contribute the rest.

Phase II, with 37.10 million euros

It is foreseen that the ‘Plan for the improvement of efficiency and sustainability in irrigation’ will have a Phase II with two more actions worth 37.10 million euros. They will be carried out on the islands of Mallorca and Eivissa. Specifically, in the area of the Sant Jordi Plan, and in Santa Eulària des Riu and Sant Joan de Labritja. In fact, the irrigation communities of these places have also met this Tuesday with the delegate of the Government, the representatives of SEIASA and of the Consellería de Agricultura. Thus, altogether in the Balearic Islands, a total of 45.58 million Euros will be allocated with this plan.