La Gomera needs 3 million euros for completing and improving essential irrigation infrastructure to ensure the maintenance and development of the tasks on the fields. This was assured by the counselor of Agriculture, Emiliano Coello, following his meeting with the director of Rural Development of the Autonomous Community, Ernesto Aguiar, to whom Mr. Coello raised the need for regional funding.

The insular representative explains that the meeting has served to analyse some of the projects of interest defined by the Island Council on the irrigation network of La Gomera, and which include waterproofing of the Alojera dam, in Vallehermoso; waterproofing of the Arure dam, in Valle Gran Rey; expanding of the irrigation network of Vallehermoso, and the transfer of water from Ajual until Acanabre.

"These are just some of the initiatives we have planned on La Gomera and we are confident to be able to launch them in short-term with the help of the regional government, but we should not ignore that very important works are already on the way, such as the modernization of the irrigation network of Valle Gran Rey, through which existing ditches that cross farmland have already begun to be replaced by galvanized steel pipes”, says the counselor of Agriculture before specifying that these works also include the installation of localized irrigation systems and recovery of abandoned water tanks.

He explains that this initiative which is funded by the Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero through the General Secretary for Agriculture and Food, has a budget close to 1,5 million euros, and will make it possible to renew the water intakes of all farms, incorporate filtering structures, clean and repair regulator depots, in order to reduce the water deficit experienced by the valley bottom and, ultimately, facilitate the work of farmers.

Mr. Coello adds that the meeting focused also on the possibility of transferring to La Gomera the Rural Development Plan of the Canaries (RDP), to which the Island Council intends to incorporate actions such as the creation of a theme park of agriculture, which shows the farm work to younger generations and visitors, the construction of a composting plant, the launching of the cold rooms of Vallehermoso to collect and store horticultural products or the measures for combating pests such as the whitefly.