Producers from San Juan de Puriscal will benefit from the San Juand de Barbacoas de Puriscal Irrigation Project, covering 3.5 hectares of citrus, vegetable and flower crops.
This initiative has a cost close to 26 million colones, which are financed with funds from the Integrated Water Resources Management Program, administered by the National Irrigation and Drainage Service (SENARA).
The irrigation system will allow producers to implement alternative short-cycle crops, as well as citrus in association with coffee, and thus improve their income throughout the year.
With the support from SENARA, the Society of Water Users for Irrigation was formed and the water concession was submitted to the Water Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for a flow of 1.6 liters per second.
The irrigation system was formally delivered on Friday at an activity carried out on the ranch of producer Gilbert Vargas. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Felipe Arguedas participated in the event.
With this type of rural projects 3,900 families have benefited and 3,800 hectares have been irrigated since 1983 when SENARA was created,”
said Patricia Quirós, manager of SENARA.
The deputy minister said that with this system, farmers will pdiversify production and better address climate change.
It will also prevent the migration of rural areas and it’s an important contribution to increase their income and improve the quality of life,”
added Arguedas.