LLEIDA, Apr. 30 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the irrigation community of the Segarra-Garrigues canal (Lleida), Josep Maria Jové, has predicted that the closure of the water supply until Tuesday 2 May due to the drought in Catalonia will affect 3,000 farmers in the Lleida area.
In statements to ‘Rac1’ collected by Europa Press this Sunday, he said that many irrigators give up “the entire harvest of the season for loss” and that they cannot guarantee that their trees can resist for future seasons.
“The water we have is so little that we cannot guarantee any harvest. And we will see if, with luck, the trees can be saved for future harvests,” added Jové.
He has detailed that the measure will affect 5,000 hectares and that many irrigators have assumed expenses of up to 8,000 euros per hectare, for which reason he considers that many will be forced to “abandon”.
Asked about his requests to the administrations, he has asked that they assume the irrigation costs and compensate the losses of the season, and he has lamented that the irrigators are “paying the consequences of the misuse of others” and has said that they have done their homework .
He has also warned that the impact of the drought this year on the fields will affect next season, so irrigators are already predicting “possible losses in later years.”
