The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food allocates 20,71 million euros to modernize irrigation systems in Huesca and Lleida
The “Comprehensive modernization project of the irrigation communities of Vincamet-Vilaró, Litera-Persio, Serós, Litera-Vincamet and Serrabrisa Montfret, in the municipal areas of Fraga, Aitona and Serós” aims to renew the current network of earth and concrete irrigation ditches with a pressurized pipe irrigation system that will reduce losses and allow users to irrigate without the need for pumping.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, through the State-owned Agricultural Infrastructure Company (SEIASA), formalized an addendum to its collaboration agreement with several irrigation communities along the Aragon and Catalonia Canal yesterday, January 26, in Lleida. The projects will receive €20.715.000 in funding (excluding VAT) to modernize irrigation systems in the municipalities of Fraga (Huesca), Aitona, and Serós (Lleida), under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) Phase II.
This modernization includes the construction of a flow regulation reservoir and a supply pipeline to the Aragon and Catalonia Canal, which reaches the headwaters of the irrigation networks of the five irrigation communities that are part of the project, which will provide the system with natural pressure.
The signed addendum has made it possible for the project, which had an initial budget of 17.115.253,85 euros (VAT not included), to now have another 3.599.746,15 euros (VAT not included), up to 20.715.000 euros (VAT not included), to deal with the increase in prices derived from the situation of the markets and the general increase in the costs of raw materials and materials in the last year.
The project is co-financed by the European Union's Next Generation funds and its public-private nature means that the public contribution will be a maximum of 80% of the eligible costs, while the irrigation communities and users involved in the project will contribute the remainder. The works must be completed by 2026.
