Drought jeopardizes water sources for tobacco irrigation

The intense drought affecting the province of Sancti Spíritus is hitting the tobacco fields of the territory hard, where more than 40% of the water supply sources destined for this crop are affected, according to Clemente Hernández Rojas, director of the Tobacco Collection and Processing Company.

“Of the more than 200 water sources we have, 40% are affected. The tobacco program provides land insurance, but tobacco crops need water. Ideally, they should receive seven irrigations, but at least five. It’s a very difficult situation, an intense drought. The municipality of Taguasco is severely affected,” Hernández Rojas explained.

Faced with this complex scenario, authorities and producers are implementing a program to maintain or restore the main water sources, despite limited resources.

“With the minimal resources we have—a bulldozer and a backhoe—and also using pumps and equipment owned by the producers themselves and some other production units, we have developed a program to repair water reservoirs. We have repaired reservoirs that were dry to store water, and we have built new ones,” the manager explained.

Hernández Rojas detailed that in three specific cases it was necessary to build small dams, taking advantage of springs and runoff to store water. In addition, they are working on repairing pipelines in coordination with the Water Resources Company, and they are managing the drilling of wells in search of new sources.

“We are looking for water wherever it may be. Some individual farmers are finding water for tobacco, although we don’t know what the results will be,” he added.

The situation directly affects the development of the tobacco program in the province, which depends on irrigation to guarantee the quality and yield of the plantations, in a context where the drought is worsening and water reserves are dwindling.