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The rise in the cost of water alarms farmers
Posted On 12 Jun 2017
Ecuadornews:
The Water Secretariat, one day before the change of government, modified the calculation. The “big tax package” according to the farmers, is a hard blow to the sector.
Modified calculations, higher costs. This is demonstrated by Agreement 1522, dated May 23, signed by the former water secretary Álex Sánchez Miño, something that concerned farmers, who set up an “anti-package” front.
The increase will have a relevant effect on the 7,800 farmers in a total of 11,800 hectares mainly of maize, beans, potatoes, ubilla, avocado, and flowers among other products.
Since the agreement has been in force, the cubic meter of water for productive irrigation (more than 50 liters per second) will pay US $ 0.0049, the same value that will be charged to the industry and tourism sectors.
Julio Carchi, vice president of the America Lomas de Daule Board, says that if in 2016 they had to pay $ 3,640, they will have to pay $ 240,000 this year.
“The cost of production will rise and farmers will have to pay more,” Carchi says. Rómulo Alcívar, chairman of the Manuel de J. Calle Board, says that the intention of former President Rafael Correa was to pay part of the systems in which his government invested. “We do not benefit from those systems,” Alcivar states outraged (I).
Source: http://www.expreso.ec/economia/el-alza-en-el-costo-del-agua-alarma-a-los-agricultores-IK1408129
