January and February were the wettest months in Portugal in the past 50 years, making this a promising year for water resources. Alqueva Dam, Portugal's largest water reservoir, is currently at 80% of its storage capacity.

On average, dams, reservoirs and river basins are above 70% of capacity. However, there are exceptions, particularly in the Évora district, where Vigia Dam holds water equivalent to just 25% of its capacity.

Water from the reservoir is essential for irrigating 1,500 hectares of agricultural land, mainly used for olive groves and vineyards. If rainfall does not return, water rationing may become necessary, SIC Notícias reports.

The situation is becoming more challenging at a time when rising fuel prices are also driving up the cost of other resources needed for agriculture. In Assumar, for example, farmers have no nearby water reserves to rely on and are entirely dependent on weather conditions, particularly now that the water from the first rainfall of the year has already been used up.

A positive year

For now, there are no expected problems with water supplies for agriculture, SIC Notícias reports. However, the amount of rainfall in the coming months will be crucial to ensuring that the situation remains stable.

Set The Portugal News as your preferred source for news on Google

GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google