The Minister of Agriculture, Assunçao Cristas, said in Tavira today that the next Rural Development Programme will provide incentives for farmers to save water in order to encourage good irrigation management.
"These measures are aimed at giving bonuses to those who manage water sensibly because we are aware that irrigation is extremely important, and should be done in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner," she told reporters during her visit to an exhibition in Tavira on the Mediterranean Diet.
According to the minister, the measures will be subject to approval by the European Commission and is “one of the important measures in the next Rural Development Programme, along with another that aims to protect traditional cultures.”
“Using only what is strictly necessary is also part of our strategy to adapt to climate change,” said the minister, adding that the programme "will be formally submitted to the European Commission later this month."
According to the minister, in a statement that many will consider self evident, water management 'is important because vegetables, fruit and crops need water, especially at a time when the soil becomes increasingly dry, and you need to use water in a careful, efficient manner."
Cristas said that Portugal "has done a remarkable job in terms of reduced the volume of wasted water because irrigation techniques today are much more sophisticated and allow the watering of a greater area with less water.”
“The aim is precisely to help these good practices to become widely used," she concluded.
The Minister of Agriculture was viewing the ‘Mediterranean Diet - Millennial Cultural Heritage' exhibition in the Palácio da Galeria at the Tavira Municipal Museum.
According to the minister, now that the Mediterranean diet has been recognised by UNESCO, there must be a plan to safeguard to protect it.
