The drought decree points out that “you cannot lose the irrigation production of the southeast”, in a crisis also marked by the war
For the Government of the nation, «it is necessary that an important part of the irrigated production of the Spanish southeast is not lost». The Executive recognizes the importance of the fruit and vegetable production of the Region of Murcia, Alicante and Almería to guarantee food, and also admits the impossibility for the irrigation communities to pay for desalinated water at current prices, hence its decision to subsidize the price of this “unconventional water resource” this year, according to the royal decree law approved on Tuesday by the Council of Ministers.
The prices are set at 34 cents per cubic meter at the delivery points for irrigation of the distribution network of the Torrevieja desalination plant; at 41 cents for the Águilas plant and 40 in Valdelentisco. Does not include VAT. The Transfer Irrigation Union estimates that the final price may be around 45 cents in the case of Torrevieja, and other costs of the irrigation communities should be added.
“Extraordinary situation”
In the justification of the decree law, the Government of the nation indicates that the problem of the drought is added to the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, for which it is necessary to guarantee “the viability of the agricultural exploitations and with this to face possible supply problems due to the abandonment of agricultural activity that could take place if the conflict continues».
The Government admits that desalination would have become more expensive this year to 1.2 euros per m3, a price that irrigators would not have been able to pay
He adds that, at “this critical moment”, said viability is compromised as a result of the high energy cost borne by those farms “that depend on non-conventional water resources, among which desalinated waters occupy a very prominent place.” “It is necessary that an important part of the irrigation production of the Spanish southeast is not lost, for which a measure is contemplated that allows reducing the economic burden that irrigation users bear when they are forced to participate in the costs of desalinated water. The aim of this measure is to establish a sustainable and affordable cost for irrigation users”, he adds in relation to the royal decree law.
He warns that the average cost of desalinated water “has gone from an average figure of the order of 0.45 euros per cubic meter before the energy crisis to a figure that currently stands at an average of 1.2 euros, which it supposes an average price of desalinated water that cannot be assumed by irrigation users».
He will make a “shock plan” for Levante, with aid for the Júcar-Vinalopó Transfer, but not for the Tagus
“It is an extraordinary situation that has never occurred before and that if the planned measures are not adopted, it will have as an immediate consequence, aggravated by the drought situation, a loss of an important part of the irrigated production of the Spanish southeast and an impact important on employment in the area.
In addition to this, the Government undertakes to urgently approve a crash plan to optimize water resources in the Mediterranean basin, which will promote the use of non-conventional resources, making it possible to use water from desalination plants or other pipes from the General Administration of the State already built through the execution of works and actions “that make it possible for the price of water for irrigation not to exceed the economic capacity of the users.”
It does not refer to the Tajo-Segura Transfer, but it does refer to the Júcar-Vinapoló aqueduct, in which the costs will be discounted.
Assignments of rights
Likewise, there will be a modification of the rules of priority in the contracts for the assignment of water use rights. In this sense, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, under the Water Law, may authorize, on a temporary and exceptional basis, transfers of water use rights that do not respect the order of preference defined in the plan. hydrological, provided that the regime of ecological flows is maintained and the supply of the population is guaranteed.
The organizations of the river basin will be able to reduce or suspend the endowments in the supply of water that are precise to rationalize the management and use of the water resources; as well as modify the priority criteria for the allocation of resources to the different uses of water.
food autonomy
The Government points out that in the current situation it is necessary to guarantee food supply and food security, in accordance with last year’s Communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, by which the contingency plan was approved to guarantee food supply and food security in times of crisis.
“The Covid-19 crisis was a wake-up call for those who considered it unthinkable that EU businesses would experience supply problems for certain foods and the growing uncertainty and volatility of prices and supply could affect Spanish production capacity”, he adds.
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