Viewed from above, the gentle Salado river that runs through Argentina's fertile Pampa prairies looks harmless enough. But in the last 20 years, its inundations have largely kept 19.8 million acres of some of the world's richest farmland from being used -- or nearly one-third of the area Argentine farmers seeded with grains and oilseeds last season.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Viewed from above, the gentle Salado river that runs through Argentina's fertile Pampa prairies looks harmless enough.
But in the last 20 years, its inundations have largely kept 19.8 million acres of some of the world's richest farmland from being used -- or nearly one-third of the area Argentine farmers seeded with grains and oilseeds last season.
In response, the government is carrying out a $1.2 billion project to reduce flooding in the Salado river basin and promote farming on fallow lands in Buenos Aires province, Argentina's top grain and beef producer.
"Our aim is to protect the whole of Buenos Aires province from the risk of flooding," Raul Rivara, the provincial agriculture minister, told Reuters.
From the air aboard a government plane, one could see 13 dredgers at work to deepen the river and other machines munching away at the riverbanks to create a canal measuring 490 feet wide.
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The government says 4.9 million acres of farmland have been put to use since the project began in 2002.
The Salado river basin covers 42 million acres and produces 25 to 30 percent of grains, oilseeds and meats in Argentina, one of the world's top agricultural exporters.
Farmers in Buenos Aires province, which is about the same size as Italy, mostly grow wheat, corn and soybeans and raise cattle.
"This is the first time that such major public works are being done," said Marcelo Fielder, an official at the private Argentine Rural Society who is auditing the project.
REBUILDING FARMERS' DREAMS
Many farmers had to stop using their flooded fields for years thanks to the Salado river and others saw their lands -- still dry -- cut off from neighboring plots by a sea of water.
"The floods in the last 20 years were very big and very frequent. Half of my fields were under water for two to three years," said Jorge Gallino, whose cattle ranch lies near the waterway.
At the same time, property values plunged and made it virtually impossible for farmers to sell -- a trend that is finally starting to change with the containment project.
In addition to deepening and widening the Salado river, workers are designing systems to drain and retain water better and are building bridges and other needed infrastructure.
Dredgers scoop up mud from the river floor and deposit it in nearby fields to fill low-lying areas, some of which are surrounded by intensely colored, yellow wheat fields.
"This project ensures that farmers have the possibility of planning ahead because they know they won't be flooded," Rivara said.
SOME LINGERING QUESTIONS
The project, which could take up to 10 years to finish in some areas, has had difficulties since it was conceived in the 1990s.
After years of delays, construction was held up again in 2002 due to accusations about mishandling of the concessions granted to private firms to carry the project forward.
And some provincial legislators question the way that public funds are used to finance the plan. The money comes from a special federal tax on fuels.
But for now, these challenges do not appear to endanger the ambitious project.
Gallino, the cattle rancher, said he hopes it is concluded as soon as possible. "We have been fighting for this kind of project for many years," he said.
Source: Reuters
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