The Alqueva Development and Infrastructure Company (EDIA) launched international public tenders for the construction of the Reguengos de Monsaraz and Moura irrigation blocks, in a global investment of more than 41 million euros.
The largest investment, with a base price of 32.85 million euros, refers to the Reguengos Irrigation Block, in the municipalities of Reguengos de Monsaraz and Évora, in this Alentejo region, according to the tender notice published in the Diário da Republic (DR), last Wednesday.
The procedure, consulted this Tuesday by the Lusa agency, has applications open until December 19 of this year and provides for a period of 18 months for the execution of the works, and this block will allow an area of 4,786 hectares to be irrigated.
In a statement released this Tuesday, the president of the Chamber of Reguengos of Monsaraz, Marta Prates (PSD), welcomed the launch of the public tender.
“The agricultural sector is fundamental for the municipality’s economy and must always be defended and valued, so the announcement of the public tender for the construction of the irrigation block demonstrates that the fight we waged for three years to advance the work has come to an end. objective,” stated the mayor, quoted in the statement.
The international public tender for the Moura Irrigation Block, in the Beja district, also consulted this Tuesday by Lusa, was published last Thursday in the Diário da República.
This irrigation block, with a base price of 8.2 million euros, will obtain its water from the Caliços dam and will allow the irrigation of 1,184 hectares of agricultural area.
Interested companies can apply for this contract until January 6, 2025, and the works will take 14 months to complete, according to the notice of procedure.
During a trip to Reguengos de Monsaraz, on August 27, the Minister of Agriculture, José Manuel Fernandes, announced that the competition for the construction of the Reguengos Irrigation Block would be launched “in October”, as it was.
At the time, the government official recalled that this undertaking is “a promise [com] dozens and dozens of years” and that, “finally”, it would come to fruition.
The minister acknowledged, on that occasion, that it was “heavy financing”, but stressed that the project “is fundamental for this territory, for the competitiveness of the territory, for territorial cohesion, for agriculture and for what these people “I was already waiting.” for so long and he deserved it.”
In the case of a project that has been demanded for years by the farmers of that Alentejo municipality, ‘bathed’ by the Alqueva reservoir, the Minister of Agriculture maintained that, “deep down, it is also an injustice that must be repaired.”
Precisely one month later, on September 27, during a trip to Moura, José Manuel Fernandes promised to launch the tender for the construction of the Moura Irrigation Block, assuming the objective of having it ready to operate in the “2026 campaign.”
Questioned by journalists on this occasion, the president of the Moura and Barrancos Agricultural Cooperative (CAMB), José Duarte, maintained that the local olive growers are “like Santo Tomé”, in relation to the progress of the project.
“You have to see it to believe it, because, since 2018, it is the third announcement from three different Agriculture Ministers,” he jokes, admitting, even so, that it is possible that the project “takes off.” ‘this time.
Source: Observadora
