en.Wedoany.com Reported - Chile's Mapuche community Manuel Quilapi has initiated the construction of a solar-powered irrigation system in the town of Los Sauces, Malleco Province, La Araucanía Region. The project has an installed capacity of 138.88 kWp and plans to install 224 photovoltaic modules to power the pumps that draw water into a regulating reservoir. The installed power, technical approach, and module manufacturer have not yet been publicly disclosed.

The water infrastructure will include a reservoir lined with geomembrane, capable of storing more than 20,000 cubic meters of water. The system will also be equipped with data transmission devices to control and monitor water resource usage. The project involves an investment of approximately 700 million Chilean pesos (about USD 730,000), funded through the Irrigation Law channel of the Ministry of Agriculture, disbursed via the National Irrigation Commission (CNR), with the participation of the National Indigenous Development Corporation (Conadi). This initiative is part of the "Plan Buen Vivir" (Good Living Plan).

The system is expected to benefit 33 families in the Manuel Quilapi community, providing irrigation for more than 51 hectares of land. According to project leaders, the facility will promote a shift from traditional crop cultivation to high-value agricultural products such as fruit trees and berries.

The community, originally from the Choque Choque area, has been settled since 2009 on a 251-hectare plot purchased by Conadi. Community president Emilio Sepúlveda Marileo stated that the introduction of technology will reduce physical labor and operating time while boosting agricultural productivity.

This project is one of a series of initiatives jointly promoted by CNR and Conadi in Malleco Province. In December 2025, the two institutions launched twelve irrigation projects in the town of Ercilla, with an investment of approximately 200 million pesos, benefiting twelve farming families and indigenous communities.