The Segarra-Garrigues canal begins the irrigation campaign that, initially, is expected to be the most difficult in its history due to the low level of reserves in the Rialb reservoir, which is at 11% of its capacity.
The president of the irrigators, Josep Maria Jové, explained that this is a situation that "had never been experienced" since the infrastructure began to be used in 2009. Thanks to the winter rainfall and the general commitment of farmers to grow cereals that require less water, it is expected to save a first harvest and avoid "for the moment" restrictions while waiting for what the CHE says. In addition, if it does not "rain much more", problems are expected from May, according to Jové.
The Segarra-Garrigues canal supplies 13,000 hectares of crops, some 11,000 of which thanks to the Rialb reservoir, which this year registers a very low level of reserves. For this reason, the campaign is expected to be "the most difficult" that is remembered pending the arrival of new rainfall that can save it. "Without new rains, they will not reach the end of the year without restrictions," says the president of the irrigators.
Currently, Rialb has a reserve of about 46 hectares of water and Oliana about 35, according to CHE data. In this sense, the president of irrigators has explained that the Segarra-Garrigues would need at least 25 hectometres of water to guarantee the campaign, but the Canal d'Urgell must also be taken into account.
“There is not enough”, warns Jové, although he acknowledges that the water need of the canal that he represents “is not much”, since the infrastructure has an irrigation that is “localized” and a “rational” use is made that allows a “ great saving” of water.
Given the forecast of persistent drought, farmers in the area have chosen to sow winter cereals that require less water. In this way, barley monopolizes a large part of the irrigated crops for infrastructure. This year "the commitment to this cereal has increased a lot" to "guarantee at least one harvest" and wait if, with the arrival of the rains, a second one can be made with corn, according to Jové.
With regard to the demand for irrigation, Jové believes that from the outset "there will be few" irrigation companies that want to irrigate their farms, since the rains that have occurred during the winter and the precipitations of last Thursday would be enough to save a first irrigation. In addition, the irrigation will be open from this Monday for "everyone who wants to use it", he has concluded.
