Six pigs per person


 It is another day of trotting along the Ebro valley with ne’re a soul in view.  You know, I think we need to talk more about irrigation ditches.



Colm Ryan wrote about this about a year ago.  He observes ‘The area of Montesusín in the region Spain and the community there say that despite two years of drought, through the irrigation system in place, they were able to save 50% of crops that would have been otherwise lost.’  https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/how-irrigation-is-sustaining-agriculture-in-spain/


Aragon apparently has 2000km of irrigation canals.  About 3.5 million hectares are irrigated in the country and 4% of that is in Aragon - which covers about 9% of Spain.


Montesusin is about 80% irrigatable and it is not in the lovely Ebro valley.  Joe Lax [alright, Jose Alberto Lax] who coordinates water distribution reckons that irrigation saved about 50% of the crops despite two drought years.






The canals require cleaning during the winter and during the non-irrigation season (October to April) when water levels are low. Zebra mussels are a problem in irrigation networks in Aragón, as they can completely block the system, thus preventing water reaching areas where it is needed.

The well-developed irrigation system around the Ebro supports productive agriculture. The most important crops include wheat, barley, rye, fruit and grapes. Livestock-breeding is essential especially in the northern areas, where the lush meadows provide excellent conditions for sheep and cattle. As of November 2020 the regional livestock includes 8.8 million pigs (around six pigs per person), and, as of January 2021, 73.1 million ifowls. Also as of November 2020, there were more than 1.6 million sheep and about 50,000 goats, as well as about 400,000 head of cattle, most of them in Huesca province.













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