Improved Irrigation Revives Holguin Sugar Industry

Edecio Ochoa Vázquez, 65, is a retired worker who dedicates important part of his time to assisting in the implementation of projects to restore water canals and farming infrastructure in areas of the Celia Sánchez Basic Unit of Cooperative Production (UBPC), attached to the Urbano Noris Sugar Mill in the eastern Cuban province of Holguin.

With the utmost honesty and integrity, Edecio Ochoa Vázquez criticized the lack of maintenance and deplorable state of ductworks supplying water to sugar cane crops in southern Holguin, which had been left to deteriorate for more than a decade.


"It is true that mechanical irrigation was severely affected and often paralyzed by fuel shortages during the harshest years of the special period? a challenging economic period following the collapse of the socialist bloc. But the thing is we weren’t able to protect what we had back then, and let many people destroy and plunder warehouses and buildings, and carry off steel and other construction materials."

However, these setbacks don’t seem to discourage Ochoa Vázquez who, brimming with optimism and positive thinking, assures that "now, we have to put all our efforts into the process of restoration. Only in this way we will guarantee obtaining enough raw materials to keep the sugar refinery working in the forthcoming season."

QUALITY RENOVATION

Getting the pumping station in the area of Vente Rosas, located on the margins of river Cauto, to operate properly is vital in order to provide water to an estimated 6,000 hectares of sugar cane crops, warns Ramon Sarmiento Perez, an irrigation specialist from the Urbano Noris Sugar Mill.

"For this reason, and in keeping with a program designed by the Cuban Sugar cane Ministry (MINAZ), underwater pumps which deteriorated over years of usage have been replaced by four new electric engine-driven ones, powerful enough to carry the water directly into the discharge tank to a height of 30 meters."

"The installation has been operating since late February, thanks to the hard work carried out by a brigade of qualified workers from the sugar mill. Then, the immediate priority is no other than streamlining irrigation mechanisms and creating conditions to plant a greater amount of fields in the forthcoming season. The brigade also provided maintenance to pipelines and the irrigation-related infrastructure, thus contributing to reduce expenses."

On the more positive side, plans are in place to undertake the renovation of similar facilities, such as the Pichuli pumping station on the margins of the river Cauto; the EL Hoyo installation, currently distributing water to an estimated 900 hectares of crop lands via two electric engine-driven pumps; and the Algodones facility, providing water to crops in the Vietnam farm via two diesel engine-driven pumps.

The Ingenio Viejo pumping station, which had been out of order for nearly 7 years, has been recently equipped with two fuel-efficient petrol engines. The facility distributes water to some 1,200 hectares of farmland belonging to the Rolando Pérez Quintosa Basic Unit of Cooperative Production (UBPC); and to another 1,400 hectares from the Yaguabo UBPC, integrated to the Cristino Naranjo Sugar Company.

Since the beginning of primary canal renovation in January up to mid-March, an estimated 19 kilometres of ducts have been restored, with thousands of cubic meters of mud and dozens of tons of aquatic plants such as Macio and Malangueta being removed from them, said Joan Solano Pino, a technician working with the Transportation and Mechanization Company’s engineering work brigade, who is in charge of overseeing the renovation project.

"Now, we are mainly focused on the Plan Guayaba pumping station (powered by electricity), where we have already excavated large amounts of gravel and other materials in order to proceed with canal maintenance."

VISIBLE OUTCOMES

By rescuing pumping stations, canals, and irrigation-related infrastructure from deterioration, the province of Holguin has been able to ensure providing irrigation to at least 14,000 hectares of farmland, said Miguel Martínez García, a sugar production supervisor from the local Sugar Company Group.

"Mid-March estimates revealed that the amount of sugar cane grown since January totals an estimated 612 hectares? a considerable increase compared to the first half of 2010’s scarce yield of 79 hectares. No one doubts this increase is the result of more efficient irrigation methods; and plans are in place to grow an additional 550 hectares in the forthcoming 2011-2012 sugar cane season. "

Over the first three months of the present year, the Cristino Naranjo Sugar Mill has managed to surpass last year’s total output; and continues working hard in order to grow an additional 357 hectares of sugar cane crops, Martinez García added, saying this growing season has been particularly successful in terms of crop attention and production levels.

Water has brought reinvigorated economic prosperity to Holguin’s sugar cane sector. However, we must never forget the importance of avoiding wastage and using this vital resource efficiently if we are to successfully advance the restoration endeavour.

source: ahora.cu