Even though nobody knows how much water from the Yaqui River Dams system is available, Potato farmers expect the authorities to take into account that vegetable crops use pressurized irrigation systems to increase the efficiency in the use of water; thus allowing them to, at least, keep the same amount of authorized surfaces.
The System Product Potato reported that most potato farmers use pressurized irrigation systems, which could give them a slight advantage against other farmers who still irrigate by gravity, as they optimize water use at very high levels, and thus achieve very good yields by using only 50% of what any other crop would use in irrigation.
Close to 4,100 hectares were established in this crop cycle, a surface that was severely affected by the frosts, when production fell up to 40%; yet the producers were able to recover due to the huge savings of water that they had. In some cases they were able to replant new crops of potato.
Therefore, the producers who are members of this non-governmental organization, asked the authorities that these benefits be reconsidered in their favour when they program the crop cards for the next autumn-winter 2013-2014 agricultural cycle.
Source: TRIBUNA
