The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry, through IROA, SA - Regional Institute of Agrarian Planning, has authorised the public tender for the construction of a weir in Ribeira do Aveiro stream, two water reservoirs with capacity of 250 cubic metres each and a water supply point for farmers. These interventions on the island of Santa Maria amount to 140 thousand Euros.
 
This investment will directly benefit farmers in the village of Santo Espírito. It falls within the Regional Government's strategy to expand water abstraction, supply and storage infrastructures with the aim of improving farmers' working conditions and contributing to reduction of production costs.
 
This year, IROA will invest almost 56% of its overall budget in water supply works on all Azorean islands.
 
Investing in the modernisation of agricultural infrastructures, such as water supply, is a commitment towards the future of the sector, giving confidence and helping farmers to be better prepared to meet future challenges and, above all, to boost the competitiveness of regional agriculture.
 
Moreover, this type of investment is part of the Regional Government's policy to prevent and minimise any effects of climate change on the agricultural sector. There are diagnostic studies under way for the identification of needs to ensure water supply in terms of quantity and quality to farms on several islands, such as Santa Maria, as well as to outline their action plans; the latter will prove to be extremely important for the planning of investments to be implemented in the coming decade.