The other Vaca Muerta: US$1 billion to be invested to bring more than 50,000 hectares under irrigation – La Nación | 21/07/26

The province of Neuquén has launched the tender for the executive project of the Productive Wind Corridor, an initiative involving an investment of more than US$1 billion to bring over 50,000 hectares under irrigation in the Middle Limay region, between Picún Leufú and Piedra del Águila, with the goal of developing the province’s largest forage and meat production hub. The project would more than double Neuquén’s current irrigated area, which stands at approximately 23,000 hectares. The executive project is expected to take one year to complete and will include soil studies, road planning, irrigation and drainage infrastructure design, and assessments of the energy required for water pumping. The initiative is supported by access to the Limay River, whose flow is considered sufficient to ensure water availability even under climate change and water stress scenarios. In addition to alfalfa production for hay and direct grazing, the project includes cattle breeding, rearing and finishing, sheep and goat production, cultivation of nuts, olives, cherries and other fruit crops, as well as forestry projects. It also provides for the construction and upgrading of water intake structures, main canals, pumping stations, and a new integrated drainage system that will use natural streams and gullies to return excess water to the Limay River. Originally launched in 2023, the project aims to diversify Neuquén’s economic structure and reduce its dependence on the hydrocarbon sector, which currently accounts for 45% of the province’s Gross Geographic Product through mining and oil activities. The initiative is expected to directly benefit 7,700 residents and will be supported by proposed legislation to protect irrigated land from urban development, along with mechanisms to recover part of the investment through the sale and exchange of public land. Link to Article