In statements to the Lusa agency, the president of the Association of Beneficiaries of the Sotavento Algarvio Irrigation Plan, Macário Correia, said that the irrigators "look at the easing of restrictions with a positive sense, although many doubts remain to be clarified".

The spokesperson for the Algarve Commission for Hydro-agricultural Sustainability (CSHA), formed in January by 120 producers, farmers and regional irrigation associations, regretted that the Government had made the decision "without speaking to the irrigation associations and the municipalities, the main interested parties".

The Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, announced on Wednesday in Faro the easing of the restrictions imposed, since February, on water consumption, updating the reduction, which goes from 25% to 13% in agriculture and from 15% to 10% in the urban and tourism sector, to address the water scarcity in the region, for a total of 20 cubic hectometres.

"The Government came to the Algarve with six members and several general directors and they returned. So far, no one has spoken to us and we only found out through the media, which naturally leaves many doubts, because it is not detailed information", he stressed.

For Macário Correia, the irrigators need to "know more" than what is stated in a press release, namely "when the restrictions come into force and when the resolution of the Council of Ministers is issued".

"It is also essential that the Government explains what will be done in relation to the new irrigated areas, what will be the compensation of groundwater with surface water, both in the Querença-Silves aquifers, the Campina de Faro and others, or even within the irrigation perimeters", he pointed out.

At the same time, he adds, "it is necessary to know the timetable for the works that were announced for millions, which are not new, because the money has been around for some time, but the works have not been carried out and the money is still around".

"It is necessary to know: what to do, when and how", stressed the former president of the Faro and Tavira chambers, adding that "there are things that have been announced that are not credible, such as saying that a desalination plant and the Pomarão to Odeleite pipeline will be built in less than two years, it is not credible".

According to Macário Correia, in the case of the Pomarão to Odeleite adduction pipeline "there are not even negotiations with Spain, nor a definitive project".

"There are tenders to be held and there is a 40-kilometre work to be carried out. All this cannot be done in less than two years. You cannot announce millions for tomorrow, when they are not easy to execute", he stressed.

The president of the beneficiaries of the irrigation plan for the Sotavento (east) Algarve said that he expects that, in the coming days, "someone will speak to the associations that represent the irrigators and tell them how it will be done and ask for collaboration".

In turn, the president of the Association of Irrigators and Beneficiaries of Silves, Lagoa and Portimão, in the Barlavento (west) Algarve, told Lusa that the easing of restrictions on water consumption in agriculture will "meet the demands of farmers".

"Although we were not heard to participate in the decision, we consider that the easing is positive and that it is justified in view of the precipitation that fell at the beginning of the year and that increased the water reserves in the Algarve basins", said João Garcia.

According to the official, the reduction in restrictions for the agricultural sector "allows farmers to guarantee production", which means that they maintain their farms and agricultural income.

"Fortunately, they have found that the cuts that had been decreed for this sector put the sustainability of this activity at risk", he concluded.

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