During the general assembly, Jové was emphatic in stating that the current price “is not sustainable” and that the community will not accept it for 2026. He stressed that farmers are losing money on extensive crops and, while they are not asking for aid or subsidies, they are demanding a redefinition of the criteria for calculating the water price.
“"What we have this year (0.1567 euros per cubic meter) we will not accept for 2026. Extensive crops are now unviable; we are losing money."
One of the key points of the meeting was the renewal of the water concession before the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation (CHE). The goal is to adapt usage rights to the actual irrigable surface area. The original concession, requested in 1985, foresaw 80,000 hectares, but today only about 65,000 can be irrigated due to the presence of ZEPA zones (Special Protection Area for Birds).
The community has proposed a new concession request in two phases. Initially, they have requested recognition for 31,000 hectares, with the expectation of expanding it to the truly irrigated hectares in about seven or eight years, once the canal is fully completed. Currently, the Segarra-Garrigues irrigates about 14,000 hectares, drawing from a reserve of 100 cubic hectometers of water from Rialb, although the main canal remains underutilized compared to the initial project.
The assembly also approved the community's budget for 2026, which amounts to 425,800 euros, an increase of about 36,000 euros compared to the previous year. Furthermore, the signing of the document that would allow the filling of the Albagés reservoir remains pending due to additional requirements raised by Civil Protection.
