Sp. Libanos: 21 irrigation projects worth 4 billion euros change the ‘map’ in agricultural production

The largest investment program for irrigation projects of the last 50 years was presented today by the Minister of Rural Development and Food Spilios Libanos, in the presence of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

At an event in Athens, Mr. Libanos and the Secretary General of Union Resources and Infrastructure, Mr. Dim. Papagiannidis presented the first 8 of a total of 21 irrigation projects, with a total construction cost of 1.6 billion euros, which will cover more than 1.3 million acres throughout the country.

This is the largest integrated irrigation project ever undertaken in Greece, which will be done through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and is, as he noted, an injection of development for entire regions and for our economy as a whole. This is because through better irrigation, greater production is achieved and crop yields increase.

Mr. Libanos thanked the Prime Minister not only for his presence but also for his practical support and for the importance he and the Government attach to the primary sector and the rural world.

“We are implementing a huge investment program in land improvement infrastructure, of similar importance for regional development as that of airports and highways,” said the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, adding that the irrigation problem is one of the biggest problems for the agricultural sector. as the irrigation networks are obsolete, resulting in insufficient coverage of irrigation needs, high irrigation costs, water waste and degradation of irrigation water quality “.

Mr. Libanos also placed special emphasis on the environmental footprint of the projects to be constructed, as water is a valuable natural resource.

With the “Water 2.0” program, we are establishing rural development by creating the necessary infrastructure and at the same time mitigating the effects of the climate crisis.

With these important infrastructure projects we are launching a dynamic development activity focusing on rural development. In this way, we create the necessary conditions for the primary sector to develop the necessary synergies with other dynamic sectors of the economy, such as tourism, culture and catering, and to be a driving force for progress and development. We are making the agricultural sector a central pillar for the required transformation of our productive model “, noted Mr. Libanos.

He also highlighted the importance of land improvement infrastructure projects for our country and the rural economy, due to the unequal distribution of water resources, geomorphology and the island complex.

Today, in our country, agriculture is the main consumer of water, as 80% of water resources are used for agricultural purposes. In Greece the average annual irrigation demand reaches 600 m3 / acre. At the same time, over 90% of surface water runoff ends up in the sea.

According to the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, the “Water 2.0” program has all the structural features and evaluation elements of an absolute strategic plan: vision, documentation and reliability, institutional shielding, long-term goals, realism, implementation and updating, roadmap for implementation and enforceability and finally a clear financial record.

The sizes and numbers, after all, are revealing. These are 21 projects with a total construction cost of € 1.6 billion (€ 1,628,839,015). Their average duration of operation is estimated at 25 years, with the total cost (operation and construction) at a depth of 25 years exceeding € 4 billion (€ 4,072,097,538).

The projects cover the entire region, with the irrigated acres reaching a total of 1,352,565.

As Mr. Libanos said, the 21 works have been divided into three packages, the first of which is presented today and includes eight (8) of them.

Specifically, these 8 projects are:

1) Water transfer projects from the Nestos River in the valley of Xanthi (Xanthi Prefecture)

• Construction cost with PPP: 203,000,000 €
• Irrigated acres: 50,000 acres. PRESENT PHASE / 200,000 acres. FINAL STAGE
Beneficiary farmers 5,000 / 20,000 FINAL STAGE

2) Modernization of irrigation networks TOEB Tavropou

• Construction cost with PPP: 114,000,000 €
• Irrigated acres: 115,000 acres.
• Beneficiary farmers 5,750

3) Sitia Hochlakia Reservoir and water supply network in an existing irrigation network (Lassithi Prefecture)

• Construction cost with PPP: 18,518,362 €
• New Reservoir capacity (μ3): 840,000
• Irrigated acres: 4,125 acres.
• Beneficiary farmers 500

4) Dam and Ag. Ioannis Ierapetra and irrigation network (Lassithi Prefecture)

• Construction cost with PPP: 26,044,385 €
• New Reservoir capacity (μ3): 1,705,000
• Irrigated acres: 10,450 acres.
• Beneficiary farmers 1,050

5) Minagiotiko Pylos Dam and irrigation network (Messinia Prefecture)

• Construction cost with PPP: 98,500,000 €
• New Reservoir capacity (μ3): 11,000,000
• Irrigated acres: 35,000 acres.
• Beneficiary farmers 3,500

6) Dam in Bougazi Domokou and irrigation network (Fthiotida Prefecture)

• Construction cost with PPP: 26,397,000 €
• New Reservoir capacity (μ3): 2,500,000
• Irrigated acres: 10,000 acres.
• Beneficiary farmers 1,000

7) Dam in Livadi Arachova, Irrigation network and hydroelectric plant

• Construction cost with PPP: 23.005.200 €
• New Reservoir capacity (μ3): 3,760,000
• Irrigated acres: 6,000 acres.
• Beneficiary farmers 600

8) Irrigation network Yperia – Orphans of Karditsa

• Construction cost with PPP: 88,066,645 €
• Irrigated acres: 74,650 acres.
• Beneficiary farmers 3,730

It is noted that for the design and implementation of this huge program, a group of people has worked and is working, which Mr. Libanos warmly thanked. In particular, he thanked the political leaders of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food who believed in this program and worked on its preparation.

Also, the (current) Minister of Environment and Energy Costas Skrekas, the (current) Minister of Interior Makis Voridis and the (current) Government Spokesman Giannis Oikonomou as well as the Deputy Ministers of Finance Th. Skylakakis and Development Nik. Papathanase.

In his intervention, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Theodoros Skylakakis, referred to the “Water 2.0” program, which he characterized as reformist, as the way of irrigation in Greece is changing. He noted that many funds will be mobilized through the program and said that the Recovery Fund places great emphasis on PPPs. As he stressed, the bet for our country is very big and the success of the program is very important not only for the rural world but for the whole of Greece.

Deputy Minister of Development Mr. Nikos Papathanasis said that the country is on a path of change towards a productive model and a green future and stressed that PPPs are a useful tool that will use resources from the Recovery Fund. Describe the way in which a project can be included in PPPs and mentioned the benefits that exist through this particular way of construction. Among other things, he mentioned the assurance of the time and the quality of construction of the projects. The goal, said Mr. Papathanasis, through the specific projects is to create jobs and reverse the brain drain.

The Secretary General of Union Resources and Infrastructure Mr. Dimitri Papagiannidis referred to the implementation of INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND MITIGATION OF IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CRISIS through Partnerships Public Private Partnerships and funding from the Recovery Fund, the Rural Development Program for the next financial periods and the National PDE.

The goal, he said, is to complete a sustainable, intelligent, safe, complete and functional Rural Development Infrastructure Program and mitigation of the effects of climate change, within the time constraints of the Recovery and Reconstruction Fund, with immediate priority of public works for the benefit of producers, consumers and citizens for the benefit of the Greek economy and rural areas.

The event was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Panagiotis Pikramenos, the Ministers of Energy and Environment Costas Skrekas, Justice Costas Tsiaras, Interior Makis Voridis, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Chr. Stylianidis, Shipping and Island Policy Giannis Plakiotakis and Undersecretaries of State for Foreign Affairs Andreas Katsaniotis and Costas Frangogiannis, Development and Investment Giannis Tsakiris and Justice George Kotsiras and also Undersecretaries of Agriculture Agrophios S, Agiotios B.