Drought affects crops in Gran Canaria.

The council has asked farmers, at the risk of drought, that do not increase their crops in agricultural areas above 500 meters.

The Cabildo de Gran Canaria believes that the state of dams South Island “It is critical” and warning farmers not to increase the area of ​​crops in the highlands around the island territory, with the possibility that they can not be irrigated with water reserves remaining in reservoirs.

The insular counselor Primary Sector and Food Sovereignty, Miguel Hidalgo, explained that after six years without heavy rains in the mediocrities and summits the southern half of the island, It has created a situation “very critical” in agricultural areas located above 500 meters above sea level.

So, Hidalgo announced that “will be invited” producers to maintain the current acreage, since there are reserves available to irrigate the next crop. Instead, if planted land and it does not rain expand sharply in the coming months, the council could not guarantee the necessary water.

The drought in Gran Canaria, especially in the southern half of the island, It has reduced the reserves of the seven reservoirs Cabildo 16% its capacity, while private dams have fallen to 10%.

in Soria, Ayaguares and Fataga reserves are exhausted and are virtually empty, while Chira The Gambuesa are the 11% and 37% of its total volume, respectively.

A breakdown in the capital Barranco Seco station, which for a year sends treated water to the farms of El Salobre and the board of Maspalomas, forced in August to use a 200.000 cubic meters of Chira and La Gambuesa to irrigate crops of those agricultural areas in the municipality of San Bartolome de Tirajana.