Although on the map of the corn regions of the Argentine agricultural areas the Patagonia does not appear there there is a “very high performance potential; of course, under irrigation, but we are in a position to compete with other regions of the country,” he assured. Luis Máximo Bertoia, coordinator of the Maizar Forage Commission, in dialogue with Chacra TV
Currently, he specified, there are 315,500 hectares under irrigation there, according to information reported by producers and staff of technical organizations. “As long as a series of works are carried out, we could reach a million hectares under irrigation without environmental disturbances, not necessarily for corn. In the rest of the country, unless there is clearing, there is no more potential for this crop,” Bertoia explained.
He highlighted the advantages of the area asThe amount of light energy that the crop receives is greater than that of the rest of the country; that has a lower incidence of pests (“the leafhopper does not affect the Colorado River, so we would be free of this problem,” he stated); It has coverage for water requirements and an unsatisfied regional demand for grains.
“Producers and governments have to work together to increase the surface area under irrigation,” he said. And he added that “A lot of water is wasted. Public-private interaction is essential to optimize its use.”
Between the disadvantages, Bertoia cited the variability of available flowswhich are unpredictable because they depend on snowfall; high production costs and the problems of freight. All of which allows us to presume the need for a high investment.
For its part, Lucio Reinoso, Secretary of Agriculture of Río Negro, He stated in an interview with Chacra TVwho can define that province as “productive” and agreed with Bertoia that it is necessary to improve the efficiency of water use and have more surface area under irrigation.
On the other hand, he highlighted the positive phytosanitary outlook: “Río Negro is an area free of fruit flies and foot and mouth disease without vaccination.”
The official assured that, when producers are asked what they need for their activity, they list: access to markets and products, technology, irrigation equipment, drip irrigation and an operational and sustainable economic environment over time. For its part, Río Negro offers incentives: taxes are not charged on Gross Income for agricultural activity, Stamps, or water.
In addition, he highlighted the “majestic” character of the river, and indicated that it was invested in transformation stations because that flow of water “generates a lot of electrical energy, but it goes to Buenos Aires.”
Regarding credit support, he stated that the province signed agreements with the Federal Investment Council (CFI), which offers “green financing” to SMEs for various projects, such as the incorporation of risk technology. In addition, she reported that there are loans for productive reactivation and for ventures led by women.
What impact would an optimization of water resources have on production? The answer is overwhelming: If irrigation is included in 1 million hectares, food could be produced for 40 million people.
Within the framework of the congress organized by Maizar, the Conditions for this agricultural expansion in Patagonia: the tax pressure on investment and production, the absence of long-term credit, the lack of machinery, and a conditioning plant, which does not exist in the entire area. In this framework, it was pointed out that one of the most significant costs is electrical energy.
