If they are not allowed to irrigate soon, their entire year of production may be jeopardised
Orange producers in Silves are calling on the government to alleviate the water cuts that have been imposed on the sector.
With the rain that has fallen recently in the Algarve, the region’s dams have reached 45% of their total capacity – a much more encouraging mark compared to the recent past.
But for orange producers in the western Algarve, the situation remains dire as they remain unable to water their trees.
“Our land is completely dry. You can even see cracks in the soil. We urgently need to water our trees, because this is the flowering stage. We need water. If there is no water soon, it will be terrible,” João Garcia from the Silves Irrigators Association told SIC.
He warns that if producers are not allowed to water their land in the next two weeks, their entire year of production could be jeopardised.
The Arade Dam, which supplies the local producers, is the only one in the country that remains below the “red line” (in other words, below 20%), because rainwater has been retained upstream in a dam dedicated to public supply.
As SIC points out, it is up to the region’s Drought Commission to review the framework of restrictions, but with Portugal’s new government taking office, the date for the meeting scheduled for this month hasn’t even been set yet. For these local producers, however, time is of the essence.
“The situation we are living now is completely different from one month and a half ago,” said João Garcia. “The Funcho dam is at more than 50% of its capacity,” he added, calling for the government’s cuts to be alleviated urgently.
