Africa-Press – Cape verde. Farmers on Brava Island stated on Wednesday that this year’s vegetable production is weak due to the lack of water that has plagued the island for several years, hindering the development of the agricultural sector.
In an interview with Inforpress, farmer Nelson Tavares emphasized that agriculture on the island has been significantly weakened due to the persistent water shortage.
“The development of agriculture in this municipality is weakening, given the long-standing water problem,” he said, stressing that this situation directly affects agricultural production and the daily lives of the population.
According to him, water availability has been insufficient throughout the island, both for agriculture and animal husbandry.
He added that farmers are awaiting the completion of the seawater desalination project, although there is no concrete date for its implementation.
Faced with this reality, Nelson Tavares explained that many farmers resort to buying water transported in tanker trucks, despite the high costs and frequent breakdowns of the vehicles, which further hinders access to this essential resource.
“At the moment we have production of potatoes, onions and tomatoes, although it is a weak production because of the water scarcity. I have two people who work with me throughout the year, but currently life is not easy at all on our island, in this area,” he said.
The farmer argued that the Government should accelerate the completion of the desalination plant project, considering that its entry into operation could represent a definitive solution to the water problem on Brava Island.
“This is our hope to solve this problem, but there is still no firm date for the project to start operating. They said it would be in March and today is already April, but nothing yet,” he lamented.
Despite the difficulties, the farmer assured that he does not intend to abandon agricultural activity.
“I will not give up on agriculture, as this is my job and my livelihood. Even with great difficulties, I will continue fighting and working as long as I can, hoping that this problem affecting our area will be resolved as soon as possible,” he concluded.
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