Portugal is losing more than 500 million euros per year by not investing in irrigation, defended Fenareg – National Federation of Irrigators, which highlighted the importance of implementing the ‘Water that Unites’ strategy.
According to figures from Fenareg, Portugal is losing more than 500 million euros per year by not investing in irrigation, a value that is based on standard agricultural production for each type of crop, indicated the president of the Federation, José Núncio, in statements to Lusa.
“Irrigated crops produce 5.5 times more than rainfed crops. The area that is not converted into irrigated crops produces rainfed crops. What we are losing is the difference between what an irrigated hectare produces compared to a rainfed hectare”, he explained.
Thus, the federation highlighted the importance of implementing the ‘Water that Unites’ strategy, which contains close to 300 measures aimed at the efficient management of water resources.
Fenareg recalled that, within the scope of this strategy, a needs assessment was carried out, estimating a total of 120,000 hectares of new areas with irrigation potential.
This strategy foresees investments exceeding 5,000 million euros by 2030 and an equivalent amount in a second phase.
“After 10 years, the cost of not investing [em regadio] it would be equivalent to making investments until 2030”, highlighted José Núncio.
Currently, irrigation represents 30% of the total value of agricultural production and covers 17% of the Used Agricultural Surface (SAU), that is, 633,000 hectares.
‘Água que Une’ aims to expand the irrigated area to 20% of the SAU.
The federation said that political instability did not contribute to the execution of this strategy, but considered that, at this moment, all the conditions are met, with a stable majority and an approved State Budget, for it to move forward.
“Irrigation is fundamental. We just need to look at Beja before and after Alqueva to see the impact it has. Irrigated agriculture is the interior industry”, he pointed out.
On the other hand, José Núncio considered that the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) could have been better used for agriculture and that now “there is little to do”, taking into account that it ends in 2026.
However, he stressed that “the world does not end with the PRR” and that there are other funds that can be channeled, in addition to adding that the country is in a better economic situation.
The president of Fenareg was also concerned about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (PAC), taking into account that the proposal on the table, for the period after 2027, determines the end of the II pillar (rural development) of the CAP, leaving investment in the hands of the Member States.
“There are different investment capacities in European countries. We cannot compare the investment capacity of the German government with that of the Portuguese government. [A proposta] it goes towards the nationalization of agricultural policies and does not bring anything good to the balance in Europe”, he concluded.
Fenareg organizes the XVI Irrigation Days, taking place today in Lisbon, dedicated to the theme “Irrigation: a look at the future”.
This event will bring together national and international experts to debate the future of water and irrigation, in the context of ‘Water that Unites’ and the CAP reform.
According to the federation, the conferences bring together entities managing hydro-agricultural developments across the country, which represent 98% of public collective irrigation.