Peruvian President Ollanta Humala took part in the opening ceremony of the Olmos Irrigation Project, which involves the irrigation of 43,500 hectares of farmland and is estimated to create about 40,000 direct jobs in Lambayeque, northern Peru.
Irrigation involves the transfer of water from the Atlantic to the Pacific watershed through the 19.3 km trans-Andean tunnel.
In addition to the installation of an irrigation system, the project will also prompt the use of Lambayeque’s dry lands under favorable climate conditions for agricultural production.
Later, the tunnel will be used for the generation of electricity.
The first phase of the project, launched today, involves the irrigation of 43,500 hectares of agricultural land, of which 38,000 hectares will be auctioned off to private investors, and the remaining 5,500 will be distributed to peasant communities of Valle Viejo and Santo Domingo de Olmos communities.
The Olmos Irrigation Project was funded with private sector finance. Water transfer works included an investment of US$300 million, and the irrigation project is estimated at US$280 million.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by: Peru's President, Ollanta Humala; Agriculture and Irrigation minister, Juan Manuel Benites; Energy and Mines minister, Eleodoro Mayorga; Finance minister, Alonso Segura; Housing and Construction minister, Milton von Hesse; Production minister, Piero Ghezzi; Transport and Communications minister, Jose Gallardo; the First Lady, Nadine Heredia; Brazil's Ambassador to Peru, Carlos Lazary Teixeira, among others.
(END) NDP/FHG/RMB/MVB
Published: 11/18/2014