Law No. 30160: Promotion of Irrigation Infrastructure and Agricultural Land Expansion in the Peruvian Highlands

Law No. 30160, published on January 28, 2014, declares the implementation of public investment projects for the construction and improvement of irrigation infrastructure aimed at expanding agricultural land in the Peruvian highlands to be a matter of national interest, public necessity and public utility. Article 1 covers water harvesting and storage initiatives, the construction or improvement of dams, reservoirs and irrigation canals, and training for agricultural producers in technified irrigation and other practices intended to improve water management efficiency. The law seeks to expand agricultural land, contribute to poverty reduction and promote social inclusion. Article 2 requires regional and local governments to undertake the necessary actions to prepare studies, project profiles, technical dossiers and financing documentation for the proposed investments. Article 3 provides that the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and the agricultural directorates, within their respective responsibilities, shall provide farmers with training and technical assistance to improve irrigation efficiency. The law is a declaratory and enabling legal framework with national scope and a specific territorial focus on the highlands. It promotes hydraulic infrastructure and agricultural capacity building but does not itself constitute a funded investment program, an authorization for individual projects or evidence of completed works, actual agricultural land expansion or achieved economic outcomes.