The rainy from the beginning of the week have been received like liquid gold in the southern countryside, although the water has not been as generous as the region’s farmers and ranchers expected, especially on the western slope of the island, where hardly any rainfall has been recorded . In municipalities like Vilaflor de Chasna, San Miguel, Granadilla, Arico and Fasnia, in addition to the Güímar Valley, the long-awaited rains have been received with open arms after the storms passed by in recent years. But the cultivated lands continue to ask for more water.
The rains have coincided with the so-called “great harvest” of potatoes, whose planting began in November and will end in February. Your results will be collected between April and early June. After several days of rising weather and temperatures above usual, rainfall like last Monday’s will prevent the campaign from drying out prematurely and, therefore, reduce the chances that the next potatoes will come out smaller. to the desired
In addition, the pockets of the men and women of the countryside appreciate it, since they will save some risk. “Having been calm waters, it gives time for the earth to drink it, that’s why we have received these rains as a blessing,” a farmer from San Miguel de Abona told this newspaper.
But this water has also come in handy for the vineyards, which have endured an intense drought for almost four years, which has resulted in a smaller amount of grapes being harvested by the regulatory councils of the South (Güímar, Abona and the Santiago del Teide area). by Ycoden Daute-Isora). This year it is hoped that production will improve.
Agustina Beltrán, mayor of Vilaflor de Chasna, one of the southern municipalities hardest hit by drought in the last five years – where up to 35 liters per square meter fell on Monday – values the rains, but considers them still insufficient. “We need more water, we have to wait to see if it continues to rain in the coming days, although what has fallen is always better than if it hadn’t rained at all. But we still have a difficult time with 35 liters,” he told this newspaper.
The president of the Association of Farmers and Ranchers of the province of Tenerife (ASAGA), Ángela Delgado, had warned last week about the consequences of the lack of rain, among which she referred to a greater accumulation of salinity in the soil, which which in turn causes a lower yield of potato plantations and vineyards.
Despite the notable drop in rainfall rates, the Cabildo has guaranteed irrigation water to farmers in the south of the island. The councilor for the area, Javier Parrilla, recalled that Tenerife’s reclaimed water deposits are among 70 and 90% of their capacity, while the reservoirs in the South were at 66% before the last storm passed.
“Reclaimed water allows us to reach more stable levels, providing peace of mind to farmers by ensuring the irrigation of their crops,” said Parrilla.
It should be remembered that the island’s agricultural water supply system consists of 21 storage ponds with a total capacity of more than 5 million cubic meters. Of these, 1.6 are stored on the southern slope and 3.4 in the northern area.
