The Spanish National Irrigation Plan - Water and Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets and Policies - page 351

Table 1. Average of productivity — economic value irrigation/rainfeed

RATIO OF ECONOMIC
AVERAGE
PRODUCTIVITY
IRRIGATION/RAINFEED

COMUNIDAD AUTÓNOMA

ANDALUCÍA 4,6

5,4

ARAGÓN

BALEARES 4,5

CANARIAS 19,9

CANTABRIA 2,8

CASTILLA- LA MANCHA 2,0

CASTILLA y LEÓN 3,7

CATALUÑA 5,2

COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA 6,8

EXTREMADURA 4,2

GALICIA 3,7

LA RIOJA 3,4

MADRID 3,1

NAVARRA 6,0

PAÍS VASCO 5,9

REGIÓN DE MURCIA 40,4

NATIONAL 6,5

Source: PNR .2002.

Population evolution (1981-2001):

population increases where irrigation exists and decreases where it does not, and

more stable population (except in some cold irrigation zones).

But, at present, the future of agriculture in an EU member state is linked to the
response given to a number of demands imposed by society and global markets such as:
human health and animal welfare, decreasing subsidies, compliance with an
environmental legislation more and more restrictive, severe restrictions to the use of
water and, at the same time, the need for farmers to produce a competitive market-
oriented production. Only modern irrigation-based farms, using automated technologies,
practising efficient water management with substantive water savings and complying
prescribed good agricultural practices in the framework of the European environmental
directives can face these challenges with certain guaranty of future.