The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has announced an ambitious investment of over 146 million euros that will be allocated to the modernization and digitization of irrigation systems in the Canary Islands. This announcement was made by Begoña García Bernal, Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food, during her speech at the 1st Irrigation Forum in the Canary Islands, held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
In her address, García Bernal highlighted the importance of this investment in boosting the Canary irrigation sector, known for its high quality production and ability to adapt to the challenges of climate change. The forum, inaugurated by Ángel Víctor Torres, Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, focused on the necessary transformation of irrigation and water resources in the archipelago, under the theme “The recovery, transformation, and resilience of Canary irrigation.”
The Secretary of State emphasized that modernization and digitization are crucial to attracting the interest of new generations in the agricultural sector. In her statements, she stressed that one of the ministry’s priorities is to promote generational renewal to ensure the future of agricultural activity, maintain the population in rural areas, and ensure environmentally sustainable management of resources.
The plan also includes a significant investment of 216 million euros aimed at promoting the use of non-conventional waters in several autonomous communities, including the Canary Islands, where six interventions with a budget of over 67 million euros have been planned. These actions are part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, with the expectation of positively impacting the supply and sustainability of agricultural production.
Following the forum, García Bernal visited an innovative project in Las Palmas: the regulating reservoir of regenerated waters of Barranco Seco in El Fondillo. This project, which has received an investment of over six million euros, aims to optimize the use of regenerated waters for irrigation, modernizing more than 252 hectares and benefiting 94 irrigators.
The initiatives presented by the ministry demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainable development and circular economy in Canary food production, representing a significant step towards the ecological transition of the agricultural sector in the islands.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
