smallholder irrigation technology prospects for sub saharan africa potx

governments, wishing accelerate the development process, fl tend 1a ase a “op {down approach where only lip services paid farmer participation, The pace i Cored to meet investment target

A S000

pews International Programme for

(<=) ) Technology and Research in

Rael Irrigation and Drainage

Knowledge Synthesis Report

No.3 ~ March 2001

International Programme for Technology and Research in

Irrigation and Drainage

SMALLHOLDER IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY:

PROSPECTS FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Melvyn Kay FAOAPTRID Consultant

IPTRID Secretariat

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

L WXSK-XHI- S00

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Summary

Tis reportisa review o iigation echnolopies for smallholders inthe context of improving rural livelihoods, especially in regard to the prospect for sub-Saharan Affica The role edtiona technologies evahusted and modem water éstihutioniechnologies, such as sprinkler iigation systems, including such innovations asthe use of weale pumps ad ip-Ais at then examined and wickle inigating, are reviewed Low-cost

“Thomostapynoprac technology fo use varies fom place w place depending ona wide range of ereurstances A broad classification has been mad based on climate am thế tràhtonal srievludl background of the local people, which links technology options to specific places ~ to agricultural regions and to countries Some ideas are presented om the direction that might he taken by goverumens, a donors, NGOs und the private sector t support future development, wit a special emphasis on the need to suppor a wide ange of

‘education and eaining programmes

Terigaion fas ong been seen a an opon foe improving rural ivelnoeds by iereising cro produto, bt massive investments throughout the 1970s and 1980s in sub-Saharan Africa have nat bore frat Food production targets were not mt developmen costs sere extremely high in Felation to retums an there ‘were many’ technical and managenient problems th remain ansolve Te decrease in eal terms of world corel prices mer the past dade has made i difficult wo invest in and mainiin imigated agriculture for busic grain ero

Mu ofthis crite was dteeted atthe mone formally stutured evzaton schemes usually ander the

‘contrat ofa goverment bay Because of this, tention med inthe 1980s wo the form sector, sll scaleorsallolder gation which ‘here are many smaller success tries paricularly where farmers have made he investments themselves s described asthe hottor-up" oe grass" approach to development

However sl has not gone smoot where donors have tried t stimulate development, Donors, funding

‘agencies and nations! governments, wishing accelerate the development process, fl tend 1a ase a “op {down approach where only lip services paid farmer participation, The pace i Cored to meet investment targets and marke forces have een ignored

Experience in sub-Saharan Aiea has shown that succesful smallalders generally use simple technologies and have secure water supplies aver which they have fll cote, The most successtal ecologies are

‘howe tha improve existing farming systems rahe sn those that introduce radially new ideas

Traditional technologies

Awd range of well-established tational technology options is available ruse hy smalthokers inching

‘of water harvesting swamp iigation, spate tigation, flood plain ization using seasonal water and shallow aoifrs, il sigsion, and groundwater isgaton, Thee is til however, considerable room fo improve find aap these tuitiona technologies wo different citcunistances,

Modern technologies

ln eocont years there has been a growing ilorest in new technologies 1 camry and apply water These usually cost mich more than tational methods and rly very much of extemal specialist suppon fom

supplies and gistibstors, Disvibation echologiessochas rick an sprinkle erigaion an piped supplies for the nave tional surface method, can help farmers to manage hei Water Better as well a reducing

‘wastage, Allthese teshnologies have the potential ase the prokictisity of water und abou, But they are really only accessible o those farmors who can afford a buy them and who ae growing cash crops such as

‘vegetables, fas atl flower, They ate unlikely to he taken up by poor farmers

""

This phrase seers wo modern teehnvoies that hae been developed or mosiied a some way t rng down their eos, An excellent example isthe weale pump, which Was developed specially asa ow-cost pup for snallolders and eontinses 1 be lated for patiglar faa needs anal markets inthe seyion Low’ systems of water conveyance and distribution have not been comprehensively teste and evaluated in the regio, with dhe exception of eae puniys, The adoption by smallholders of weale pumps te

‘ners ask of lifling snd carving water and the was in whieh the support services have developed offers Jessons forthe promation of other sigationtehnologies,

‘influencing technology uplake are the existence ofa market-driven demand or agricul proce: 3 Wel designedleehnoloey hats hoth appropiate ad aonb Foe the lol farming ad manntscuring systems

‘local private socio eapuble of mss prohiction of relia equipotent eestive priate seetor dissbution networks for agrculara inputs snd guipmten ieloding rat nÍnstrietre and dit,

The sverage at of gation development for th sub-Saharan Aleiea repion (40 counties} aver the past 12 years in 600 hear a average of | 150 hasear for each county, Same counties have average fates of development ver 2 000 halyear (eg Tancania, Nigeria, Niger, Zimhalwe an South Aftea),

Ie the current rate continues ave the nest 25 years thea an ext one mili ha oF igation could be brought into production - increasing the toil area presently under iigaion by 50 perce Even athe most

‘plist rate, the contrition that inigaion ean make to ierease fond production inthe egion will be odes unless some of the hey sonstents ae remove

Secling up development docs aot necessarily mean building irgation schemes fester but building

‘many pore of them An imporam lesson Jearzed over the past 20 years is that sllboldersetemes develop trols ä slow inerementl process of improvement sally i response to fener demand Unfortunate this iat ks with dhe way’ in which most donor and govern

enisies work a specifi ime schedules

For irgation succeed, experience snd knowkedgcuble stl wil he need, Labour studies ean assess the demand an supply of waned people Demin i hased om the expected growh rates in iigatio an the

‘supply of tein people at ll eves fase mn the outp fom ba thế im non and inservice taining txrangements Support will nidoubsely be regired sn order to eslabish appropriate insittional ani Service taining programs tha properly ein people forthe jobs they mst Go odes the fundamental issues related the improvement and adoption of appropriate

Smale iergation echnologs: prospect for dỗ: jean Nica

Contents

Michael Fitzpatrick, Amsdow Soumaita and Abdul Kobakwal, FAO, Rome

Jean Payen,Inigation Adviser, IFAD, Rome

a Perry, Emerrise Works Worldwide, Washington DC, USA,

Peter Raymond, INPIM, Washington DC, USA

Fernando Gonzalez, Geen Diemer and tarw Mina of the Rural Development Department, World Bank, ‘Washington DC USA Jaap van de Poland Volker Branscheid, World Bank, Washington DC, USA

Richard Carter, Cranfield University, UK

Gee Cornish, HR Wallingford UK,

“This pap was prepared in vaponse oa request om Fernando Gonzle, Senor rigaton Advan the Word Bank IPTRD gistd acvrơwiedgse ho nancial suppor provided by ne Word Bank

Sina gation recto

`

and sustain rural livelihoods by increasing erop

production, can reduce dependeney on rainfed

sgviculture in drought prone areas and increase

‘zapping incensiis in humid and topical zones by ‘exening” he wet season ad inuocing fective

scans of water contrl In dhe 1970s and 1980s

fntetrational agencies amd national governments

‘vested easily ninigaionw intensity agriculare

and reap the benefits ofthe high yield potential of

Saigned agricltre, The nature of donor sponsored development favoured large-scale projects rather

shan spall nes and the majority of Fonding went

Imo large-scale iigaion schemes tis now widely

sccepie that tis massive investment has bar

(uit Food production «argets were not met

development costs wore extremely high, and dere

‘were many technica and management problems that rena unsolved Over the past decade low world

cereal prices have ot helped his situation making

it sone difficult to manain and ve in expensive inigated agriculture for base food crops

“Much of this ertcism of irigation has been

slrete a che more Formally siuetred inigation Schemes usully under the conto of @ government

hs Because Schemes were large the approach ‘top-down’ Project

cient, 19 all intents and purposes, weated

smallolders a shourers, and aes were mae

to cay out all major agricultural operations on

large scale os a subsidized serve, Dissatisfaction sult ofthe inability of scheme managers

to provide promised services such as eultivatios,

land grading and harvesting on ie

Because of the erteism, attention ened in the 1080 tothe informal seco This was iạnifiean

shift fromm engineering Jed ieigation solutions approach in which the

Financial eultoral and soxiat circumstances of te

IhneFicates were ta be taken into account This ws inigaion practised hy individual farmers of

smallholders, usally farming on a stall sale ta Few hectares) under teirown responsibility: aul

‘anversare gen rested and imedenaroes,

to wha o grow charged for doubt seotee, ndftored d'or pias or ai produce woud

be laughable o European farmers The fc at this and many other documants make such otwous statrents shows how me te exsng paraagm of development has been accplad

‘Tho authors’ message is twe-old Fist

‘ovnmments and eters shots som oer 16 senvelbaf san dedlmone sndacieteendhep tram o toekee oFeebuoy.Socord, te authors frase that mest Aliean smalholdere are presseupied wih mma 3k and sual Farrag too ney en famersmay ve pty 'oaher means sunwaland ncomegenarston,

“hare are major obstacas to change that lea the erormavs vested terest of rae ofertnan Tans wh promote smahacer inp

ttow-cos with litle or no ovement suppor snd Using lechnlogy they could understand and manag cisily themselves, I is olten deseribed a the bottom-up” or ‘approach 40 development Suresinly, uptothat pou sis kind

of development had recived very litle attention from the main aid donors in spite of the fact dat Lis type oF irigation Was alzeady playing 3 significant ole in several countries, ‘Oser the past 20 years this spproae fas been the main focus of attention, Ideas sbost how 10 increase Food prediction have heen alusted take imo account some of the physical realities of land and water use and resource allvation, For example, conly five percent of the cultivated area in sub Sabaran Afsica is iigated und the sual poor are tore likely tbe found on marginal land! in non irigatod and often non-igable aprculture, There has bec an inereasc emphasis on poverty rehiton and renewed inert In allermatves the mare traditional ways of ieigating using surface or _srounevater suc as water harvest

“There are many smallholder success stories but

all has not gone smoothly Tao many international

‘agencies and national goveraments wishing to

accelerate the development proces sil end 10 use

down’ approach Some have grouped many

independent smallholders togeter into a “project

for administrative convenience an created large

scale projects with thir atendant problems There

"have ben too many instanees of paving lip service

to farmer panicipation, forsing the pace 40 mect investment targets and ignoring market forces The

much-used term of “low-cost engineering” has

Derome a enptenim fo poor engine ein

To Many evs?

It is well established that the potential for irigation

interms o land and water resources in the region is

Significant, These resources donot constrain

development although many other Factors do The

“all i that smallholder sigation does not mean itis simple

‘Over the past 20 years a great deal has been

‘written about what has or has not been dane for

mallholder irigadon The literature available is

comprehensive, covering topics that inelude

appraisals of various technologies and socio-

ceononie and anthropological studies Much has

‘heen published, but ther is sill much that snot in the public domain, which may be of considerable

benefit 1o others and resides a "ery" trate in

the archives of various organizations Indeed, there

is a fear that a great deal of knowledge and

experience is ‘lost’ simply through changes in

international agency and government staff, thus

reducing "corporate memory" litle more than a

to have found its way inta current development

practice The question remains as to how this

potential in terms of the available natural resource

an be realized, Some argue that market forces will

rive development ifthe price of food crops is

enough o encourage farmers to increase production

‘The rewards for meeting market demands can be

high but so 100 can be the risks of failure Others

suggest that development can be diven hy aid

suppor, panicularly for subsistence farmers who

fre more concerned with securing their basic

livelihoods than producing eops to sell The eality

is that both approaches play important roles The

challenge ist encourage more subsistence farmers

‘that the market offers IF progress is to be made in smaltholder

‘development there isan urgent need to continually review and update what is known and 10 put this information before decision-makers in a way that provides them with the information to develop cohesive strategies to support future development

leis well known and accepted docs not determine success and i is essential to that technology alone asses ils usefulness within a socal and economic fontext for any intervention to have meaning I is for the individual farm couniry to assess the appropriateness of the technology within their own complex socio- ‘nomic etumstances Technology provides a

‘sel framework on which to build strategy for evelopment Technology comes early in any inrgaton development and is always at the heart of any ieigation scheme large and smal, and without it there is no imigaton scheme, Technology can Significantly reduce the drudgery of lifting and applying water and can help solve water

‘management problems faced by small-scale farmers ‘making it easier and simpler to apply the right Amount of water to their erops at dhe Fight place at the right time The technology must be Fight forthe sitwation i iigation ist have a chance of sovess Pating inthe wrong technology can meae tha the seeds of fulure are already well established Before

‘scheme has even had cance to grow

“Technology provides use ramework on whch

to ult a sstogy fran development te fisays atthe heart ct any inigaton scheme 'Vêhou hthrelsno mean fifngeđewte4ng

‘A wide range of well-established and well- documented traditional technology options is available for use by smallholders including water harvesting swamp irrigation, spate irrigation, hood plain irgation using seasonal water and shallow aquifers hill irigation and groundwater irigation, There is still, however, considerable room for improvement and adaptation of these traditional

nator ini tin reco

lerigavion technologies so as te fi different

In revent years there has beet a growing interes

in modern tcchinolgies These usually cost stich

more than tational methods and rely very much

fn extemal specialist Suppo from suppliers kl

Sistebutors, Small motor-driven pumps, for

‘eaple ca greatly seduce he ddgory of fiking water Distribution ecologies such a8 trickle

sprinkle iergaton and piped supplies for the more

traditional suelace metho, can help farmers

‘which nfur reuces c walter belle as well as reduce wastage the amount of water tha sds

ling Modern technolagis have gained Favour

‘with farmers inthe develope world allowing them

Ao apply water move accursely and adequately and

to increase yields and erop quay Engineers and

planners often favor the se ofthese techno

bwatce water savings by sane fiers means thst

rion is available for others Ax one irsigation

specialist sleds “Trickle erigation cam inpnive

‘hop yields, which ie what formers ave interested

In nd significantly reduce water wastage, which

is what engincers are interested Jn” 8 win-win

‘satin Tor people andthe environmen Low-cost technolagies ste heing examined and

evaluated, Most of th tational ch

Joncas, However, the fern) “low-cost is usally

reserved for moder tecialogies that fe been

developed madifed to ing down the cost, A

excellent example i he re pur, which was

developed specially as a low-cost pump for

ssnallholéer 1 has been particulary succes in

‘Asia in eplacing the mana ting andeanying of

‘ater Is upyske in sub-Saharan Attics in recent

years very encouraging ‘Arcthese moder ehiolosies ss god a pope

3, are the jus 200tr hiek ix peomted by

‘hose who have a vested interest in selling the

‘xjipment? Hovs sucess have they heen in te

developing world as appased te ihe more

sophisticated social un economnie ensionments

the developed world? Are the traditional

technologies being ignored simply because itis

‘eyehlogiclly easier to invest in sprinkler and ion that are regarded as tient and

riodeen” whereas triton meio are regarded

{6 an ineficent™™

The term vaallalder requites some eaifcation

ssi means ferent hing to denen: people Fae

som, Ue lage isigation sehen in BgypI and the

‘Sua are sulle scheme These schemes are large ers of area at they ate made up of many smal farms lten ess than 2 ha} They ase designed and constructed by government agencies that thea

‘ake over the responsbiliy for managing the water supply sustem, Dhey are ofen described as formal

‘large-scale sialon schemes ad have borne the brunt of much af the criticism of inrigation development in sub-Saharan Alri tr the 19005 Government ma

Sndependenly of the fren, For others, smallholder ts synonymous with

nd unde the coniplete camo! ofthe Fame with Title oF no input from eaternal government

—.1.1.11 Farmers tế tha nà native and nàpond silter

Lo heir Fails" Fond noes tothe market place, Farmers sell have diel access to sinface water

Dr aroandsater and ake hiro decisions about how and when dey will iigute and bow mach water

to apply, They subsistence arming where she Eatily provides the jon of the Iahour and the farm provides the principal sauree of insinte, This sevior includes

a mix of commercial and

sanall commercial enterprises pring high value

‘ops sich cul Homers nl proce for ext Sevalolders vsually work on their owe ba, cause ofthe investment need to gan acess to Water they sometimes eed to work in rou An evaimple would be scheme seguirng a reser fra lange pumping ation om giver that one fatter alone could nt aford A 50 ha irrga

having S00 smallholders each with.1 ha managed

by the Tanners th suppor could equally be called @ smallholder scheme wold have quite diferent characterises

to the similar sized scheme desribed soe, The Farmers themselves

vselves without government

fr commissiom a professional ei

Ao the job for them The essemialdiference that mang to the fasmers for their performance and should they {asl 1» perlorm

properly the farmers have the ultimate power

Aismiss the manager and to hte an altemative, This

is not stay the ease wet the government as

the scheme, The term smallholder i used im preference 0

small-sale a the later soem confused with size

ss well management sivle, Staller is aso

term now side used by ntematonal

includes individual furs a6 well as

the farmers themselves laken oa the responsibility tor managing the or thei represcitlives ave

Aisiibuton of ater among the members of ther

tou

ronnie The term itgation need clarification ligation Includes any practice that stores diet exp Water sich as water harvesting, vse of low-lying Wetlands and groundwater well asthe more teaitional techniques of diverting or iting water for disibution using surface, sprinkle or teckle

ieigation motos

Silke vigation techno: prt fr sh Saban hie

Some technologies are referred fo as “raditional”

bbovase farmers have use them fr many yeas, n tues Underhill (1984) fist

suggested clasitication of taditionatecanolgis,

‘which suse here ih some maiiations, Table 1 some eases for

Traditional technologies

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Warr nas esiee

Water harvesting is method that hash

For centuries bu 8 not widely exploited in sub

Saharan Africa Ilsa sited tate and semi<

afidarens where en-ed craps cnet be aroun with

fy certainty because the rainfalls both une

And highly variable (EAD 1994), The ey season isollen shor with no assurance of when it wil start

‘an ins and there maybe Fequent long spells Rainfall s collected feom sununding aieas and

channelled as ra ont Fars oa tothe Fin

that falls ditetls onto the stops lterestngls 0

cone doubts the eritical importance of rainfall,

although few poliey-makers recagnize the importance of run-off which isthe inevitable

product of excessive rin Is curios parlon

that farmers recognize and exploit the natural

sncentration of rainwater in valley bottoms ad local depressions, yet the oterriding perception

driving policy that run-off isfucled by the prominence given o the soncerns a hazard This view

bot sil erosion, which fone product of rat ind has been the Toews of research and extension

‘stems, which are modest in size, where water is callected fron land adjacent 10 the farm and channelled directly onto the fields On an even Smaller scale mero-catchments can be constructed around individual plans (fen tees) There ae tmacrorsatchnent systems that have large water collecting areas, These are often a considerable slisgnee from the farming areas and can serve many: farms Substantial quantities of water ean be collected from barren and fallow Had aad

‘channelled into the eroppe elds In sub-Saharan Africa, althowgh there are samples of ater harvesting itoccupiesa neglected inde ground beeen sil and waterconservation and irrigated agricul, Both thes extremes have receive far greater attention

‘Salter ieigtion technology: prospect for sub-Saharan Africa %

In Tarzana water harvesting is used suerasty

fn large seas for growing He (abu 1950)

Inaan migra are toed tohave roduc te focallodmaalu rained io sytem nth 19208

Iris used in the lomlands of Tanzania where

{2p ref rary collet te valsy botere raking Weal for padoy ree fs adoption was nt

ley etal change agents and was ratostered y ederalsibsÖee bulnaverelea thas pred

steady sinco the 10806 Ofical data now chow

hat the maja systems contbute 35 poe ot

‘otal es production In Tarzana Reco research has boon card out to tr ana inrduce micro

bysterma infec ares for ize progucton Te

Ideas that mero sytem would give smalhoisrs

‘more conte over tetas However fin hy

farmers understood the Sensis of rannater rarvesing bt wore rican fo adopt te systom

“Toy wore more ners th gear posers of using maco-aiornen systems and argued In

‘avout onalegorscale So rte ined ae wit macro of more ambos tempts to harvest unt

Systems for maze ste mud Proper conta ver

‘Stbuton of harvested rnc within he copped

‘fea more problonah fr doe rgatos cops

onl ever the đbulen of rin an ead 0

‘seriou erosion Too mac water ean be a ig 3 froblemastoa ine, Teneedorcoopersve SoU

[cto can aso gvo ise fo dlsputes over wate

‘Shaving So wngtherlmes wl contin Imacro-ystoms to mrosysioms as Dey sequfe to peter

more exparionain remain lo Bo seen using hem or maize production

However, ono signa outcome of he resoarch

Ss tat goverment sees rnoas 8 net ater

than lust a hazard and he cause of sal eosin Development of rainwater harvesting is to be

Ieluded inthe Tancania Nana Water Resources Management Poly

Swamp irrigation

‘Swaps have heen taditonally used fr ieigaton

‘throughout the region In mangroves and coastal

‘swamps earl banks or bunds are built to exclude

‘eawaler a low fresh water from inland to enter

the topped aca whichis then planted with rice

‘The main areas for mangrove and coastal swamp irrigation stretch from The Gambia round (0

‘sed to contol the flow of water into the Fields and

‘contra dain allows excess wate 10 escape back io the natural drainage (PAO 1984) This s very

‘common inthe humid pats of West Africa such as

‘Serra Leone and Liberia and in Burund Inthe wot season many ofthe Alrcan lakes flood large areas of flat plains and these are used for rice

<culivation, Examples of this type of irrigation exist, in Tanzania beside Lake Vietria and Lake Mala,

in Malawi by Lake Chilwa and in the counties hordering Lake Chad, Also important are the traditional ierigation practices Found in bollands and dambos, These are lov saucer-shaped depressions in swamp grasslands such as those associated with the Rokel River in Sierra Leone

“There are similar areas in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Cite dvoire, Mal, Malaw and Zambia,

Spate irrigation

“This is « method of spreading water usualy from Flash floods in wadis (FAO 1987), which is a

‘common practice in some ard countries such as

‘Saudi Arabia and Yemen, It is not commonly Prtisod in sub-Saharan Africa although there ae instances ofits use in the Lower Omo Valley in Ethiopia for both food and fodder evops The technology requirements need not be great though considerable skills required to successfully divert and spread the water

Flood plain irrigation Flood plains are principally used for growing rice

‘during the wet season These are a variely of techniques involving different amounts of water contro thất overlap to @ greater or lesser degre Some of the more distinct types of wet season iigation include: Deepwater tice gown onthe Moa plains of the Niger ad Bani rivers Mall, Holdings are 15 ha with ath dykes constructed to prevent the Fields being Nlooded while the rie planta til immature, Problems aise ifthe Moods arrive 100 Tate or t00 early or F they rise too fast and submerge the rice Because of the high risk of Fail, this technique tends tobe secondary 10

‘ainfed subsistence crops cultivated above flood Plain Tevet

+ Flood irrigation involving the control of Aoodwaters to 50 samiday for deep-water rice

nd 30 mmiay for paddy sce Varios levels of

technology are posi from simple earth hanks

to dykes, canals and sui gates

Inthe dry season, shallow groundwater or open

‘ate left alter the foods suse through a variety

of gravity and water lifting techniques fr:

+ Recessional irrigation, Areas recently ‘inundated by floods are used by impounding the

receding water with tal earth bunds, This ype ‘of ieigation Found inal the major floodplains

in West Aftica for dec imigdion and close to

Takes (eg, Lake Chad) for growing maize and

sorghum

‘+ Residual moisture This issimiar 0 recessionat imigdion but uses the water stored in the soit

rather than wer retained om the surface, Wis @

very commen form of agriculture on all major

‘ood plans, In East Arica its found on many

small dambos or vi (seasonally wet areas in

small catchments

‘+ Pumped streams and lakes is simple activity and can irrigation, Pumping from rivers,

‘usually be managed on an individual bass The

ditional cost of pumping usually means that

farmers are growing high value erops for sae in

markets athe than low value subsistence crops,

‘The sallow depth aquifer that are catered over

‘more than 100 000 ha of Niger 2s well as northern igeria, Mali, and other Sahelian counties, also

provide possibilities for successful smallholder

Schemes The aguifers must be rechargeable (as they

ain Niger and Nigeria) An obvious limitation

the expansion of irigation on this basis isthe limited

area where such aquifers exist and the possibility

‘of overaxing the recharging capacity of these areas

A wide variety of water lifting methods are used

covering a range of traditional types such as

archimedian screws and the shodu tơ the moder

Petrol and diesel driven pumps There has heen &

growing interest in weadle pumps throughout sub-

Saharan Africa since their introduction from

Bangladesh and India (Kay and Brabben 2000),

Generally motorized pumps are most common in

the richer countces that have ready access a spare

pans and ful, eg Nigeria, In water-searce areas

there is also growing interest in the use of modem

distribution equipment suchas wickle and sprinkle

inigation for cash cropping

Trahtionalteologes

—¬” Nana Famers in northern Nigta fost hr atonal

‘Go of he lara ang tne ers folowing he onan af dams to conta he mer foods fot

‘aban water supply andirigaton Asan afratve they ume salsa gato ung salon

‘goundwaterecarged by the mer and ing oy Shadut or calabash in the ay

‘ogotablsferocal and ly mar

'83.an agretraldovlopment ‘in Kano sola ever 2 000 pumps for cash to programme basod Inaauals oF smal farmer groups Engineers

‘reduced tow cost wl technologies fon India

“ae riod wes constucson by two Hira wth ‘commensurate Ineeaued rlurn 9 tubewell

—

‘Thishes enone ofthe moet suecestinigaon

<Seveopmens in Ngera wh many Bausands

‘urs beingused by rat tarmors Maisnance ‘Swolesahishod and so farmers have conience

In the technology However, extemal menting

‘was necossar 10 avoid depBlone'heaqưfer lrereetngyln he 18809 sơng armors started to

‘gowahea onthe adsmssin respons oho high

‘heat pcos nth coum A sell exams o ‘he way in which private farmers canard wil

‘espand othe market the tre E rợn:

Mil irrigation There are many small, irigated areas that are situated some distance fom ther water suse end supplied hy mainly open channels and low-pressure pine systems The witer source may be tn

‘small dum supplying water by gravity or ose of some ype of simple fing equipment An indivisual farmer of a group of farmers working oct to share the water resource ean practise this type of Jnrgaton Such systems are common in the hilly areas of cental Ethiopia, Tanzania and Malawi

by electric motors or diesel engines are»

‘There are numerous examples of this ype af wer Jining and the agriculture hased upon thon

Sinallder gation loos ppt for sab Saharan Aen Arica and other parts of the world, notably

Bangladesh, Pakistan and India This type of

sevgation i aly feasible foreash erapping because

Df the high enst of well consriction aml pin:

‘or when is subsidized in some wy

“"—¬

All she methous described above ean be prastised

by individual farmers on their own or hy several

tnners working together and sharing a common

‘water supply Onee farmers group together the

‘management of dhe supply system nesds to hệ r- is small enough the farmers

‘examined the scheme

‘may’ choose to operate it themselves, A the size increases a manager may need te he hited fl time

"`"

Thher way there is significant shift the men of the igi fom individ who

can iigate as and whe they please o a group who

‘nus work oun agreed schedule of sharing in terns

fof quantity and tình This communal approach is most favoured by

sidagencies and national goyermments because itis fa way 10 help many farmers atthe same

fim, Agencies often step in, with the best of iteniogs, to satisfy nge o¢ 10 act as 8 catalyst

Tor development, In so doing the aid ageney or

goverment ings sown sto les which may

fo he compatible with what 3 reguired on the

round, Agenciesneed todisperse finds line with

their targets and are fen constained by tne The

‘empltion ta sped the process of development is

lays present and a esl sosthe risk killing

he very thing tht the agency is ring to foster by

pouting i too much support too quickly IF the

‘ommunty cannot absorb he funds ast erg ad

‘do 90% ave the insituional framework, farmers

‘may’ quickly lose any sense of ownerstip of the

projet a they rely on a culture of handouts and

‘ppt From outside tn such situations the project,

tus ahh the eostect amount of suppor over the right ime risk lure, The challonge so wovide

peri lo fosersiccessul development Underhill

{private communication) once sail that if you inerfere’ in a privately initiated irsigation

development by imecting more than ten percent of (he lal cost then you are in danger 0Ÿ ki ng

‘hiss aot an acura Figure bet it does ive some

‘onder of magni of whal cathe dome There are many examples comminal shemes

in sub-Saturan Alice ranging from dhe very lange

(og schemes in Nigeria, Kenya) co the more

‘modest(eg Senegal Zimbabwe Tanzania Most have run nto serious problems, although there ane some successes They tend to be top-dowa in Approach and the tecknolopies used are not ays conducive to simple Water management practices

fi often al 10 the problems of sharing availabe

‘water resources rather than helping to solve the For example, open channels are the most common system of supply and these are usually Fel ith upstrestn conte structures, This sone fof the most complicated systems of water

‘edo he canals an there is usualy aonstnt need tovadjust the control gates, In conta pine supply systems are such less common bul are sich Simpler to aperite and respond rapidly to changes tn water demand, They can be less Wastelul of water Dosa ts easier oar ft pipe supply when Í ơi needed 1 isnot possible wo tum off a canal

without draining it down, ‘Whom looking to the fuse ts italy Spot

tw review past experience of similar developments

to see wht lessons can he eared about wha ad what ot iodo, Several comprehensive reviews of the Sael region have heen made in recemt yews (e.g, Moris 1984 and 1987, Brown and Nooter 1992) Thetwoypes of development are recognized

in the roviews: those i whic farmers have funded those that have received external support frm an agenc}ethar i the form of direct a dough a special loan arrangement, The forme ate usually tase on the femers perceptions of Family needs and those ofthe local sarkes.Tasestnent is els

to be made wih great cate to minimize te risk of Fale, The later haves mchhighor risk of lure Fora range of reasons, al he Ft that they’ are for sialholders (a oppose to large-scale img) iso avarantee of sosess

mm

Comma, aaron m Senn

-Athough communal schemes presenta righar ik

‘hanindiaua sehemes hae ars example hore

they work wel In Senegal smal lage schemes (of 20ha or ess have boon contrcted long tho

Senegal Rive Thave vay compres 40-80 08 Gt equal sae supped by an open channel yer

fad by 15 KW 0g) engine puns fom he rive

Itwasimgonantfortemeratotinga way a stabize

‘fe preducten nares whore toy no longer ha

‘sy acess othe fond rocesin fol along te ‘hard, In tost eases armers a lvad inthe

‘ame vilge and worked opener ons cortmon

‘Sbjct of eving he fe potion th igen

‘The armors, who vested abourin eang bush

and dging cana, consrucied the scmes in

Dt Thy usually roquostedasetanco om tho

‘cea goversment ngaton agency ar usally

‘esto nthe provon ofa pump-se, ies, ste Survey and equipment or eonstacon vg funds

from s¢ donors Thore was resistance to this

‘ameriaatoaiea atest because of goverment

plans for large-scale schemes in the srea' A

Dresden doce recognized the Bones of

{echnical agsistance for irrigation ana the

Imptancet meen ammardenaode raherman

Imposinga solution Over te cat 18 years atlast "700 schemes have en Bu

Production hae remained predominantly

sbastenco ofered eventhough atoms wore

‘mado jo oons gation cath oop Iereasing

{mer hotangs dant encourage lamers to row

cash rps and they coined to grow ne fo

fay season and maze fr eat food hộ đy

Al inasructre on the schemes is co-owned by

farmers Rotation ol water supe 8 roognzed

‘nay of sbarngoutte avasale spy Repaid Iaintenance is handles Inthe same way a

schemes work wel nude

+ Consiactin trough investment of labour by {armere sot using don tnded equpment

+ Selection af sites not usualy used far sprue,

+ Pursut a an 'shabting a farming system under Guess economic objective ~ in this as

+ Full autonomy for each vilage scheme yeealaly, oporabonaly and mạ»agonauy

(emer ana Hubers 1995)

‘operated sllholder scenes in Mal, Mauritania

[Niger and northera Nigeria aswell asin Burkina Faso, Chad and Senegal, In some cases these

Aevelopments were entirely spontaneous, and in

others, they were supported by NGOs of with

Trade tenoloien

‘minimal government assistance Some farmers tok tudvantage of earlier investment and used the infrasitucture from earlier, failed lar

jects In some cases, expansion was facbated

hy the use oF new low-cost consrction techniques that reduced the cost of installing ubewells and hence the costs of irrigation “The reasons for success varied from country 10

‘country and depended on a range of technical and Socio-economic circumstances For example, in Niger private sector development had expanded well and responded to market forces, in Nigeria there wasa similar story hut ithad been helped along hy subsidised prices for equipment and frm inputs, Inyproved rural roads enabled farmers to market heir surplus prvdoction and gain acess w traders and decentralized food-processing plants Malt

‘demonstrated the extremes of sess and failure Where there is success in the private smallholder sector and failure in publi sector large-scale irrigation The Office du Niger a parastatal corporation, concentrated to such an extent on ‘public services’ that it eventually had two staf members for every three farmers and for every I

Ba of iigation Only 20 percent of farmers’ eos

‘went for acwal inpus, Chad, although suffering from civil strife for more than a decade, has seen success but on simple lowcost techniques funded

hy non-governmental organizations Senegal exemplified the changing focus of iigation Tis shifted from are publicly managed ierigation systenss with the farmer a labourer 0 insuccessful temps to make paratatal irigation fgencies more efficient, 10 government assisted

‘alholder iigation, 1 experimenting with non- Public sector irigation The early phases of this

‘experience suffered from the inappropriate

‘constuction of irigation perimeters and from Selecting craps that were not economically viable Project design, operations and reorm atempts by hoth the Government and donors were caried out from the top-down, ensuring low level of farmer

‘enthusiasm An attempt by the Government stimulate smaller ization filed when the plo size determined by the Government was too stall

to encourage farmer participation, ‘Successful projets in Burkina Faso have been the result of a relatively encouraging macto-

«economic framework Farmers ave afen heen able

1 use the irrigation infrastructure from “filed” projects ad the migration of men looking for work

‘made irrigation a profitable and necessary channel

‘of agricultural development for women,

Srallaider tego ecg praets

Cameroon lus beon an excepvion, Large-scale iigation hes been successful ut mainly because

fof tong expatriate management using farmers 8$

Taourers rather than decision-maker Faters have scooped tis situation because athe high inaneish

Fetucns and because of the lack of other

‘oppoatunitics From their comprehensive review Brawn and

Nooier (1992) suggested several characte hit

sae coniman to suesesstul schemes

+ Technology is usually simple and locos (most,

frequent small pumps drawing water from shallow aquifers or divers and steams,

+The institutional arangements ate private snd individ

+The supposting inrastracture pennis asvess 10 inputs and to markets forthe se of srplus

proton, + Theresa high Financia (cash) etunn to Famers the times when they most

‘+ Farmers are active and commited participants in project design and implementation,

‘The authors found the perception of "weeess

‘vas diferent for irrigation tecanicians, donors

governments and farmers Their view was that in terns of the

Success eaull only be assesse

Tariners' definition, “The most effective anangemtens for schemes

thar were larger than individual cwnership were

found (0 be (in devsessing onder of si

‘extended family groups; private voluntary Water users” associatinns and then cooperatives

“They concluded that project design should be based

‘on the following concep

+ Encourage smaller, private and individ insesment in erigation and implement projcets

with many small components, where NGOs Frequently are effective implementing imermediaes

+ Epoy methods that ensure ory a fl farmer Patiipation in projet design and operations

devoting as muck staffing and funding 10

studying + esti and disseminate low-cost small pump technology and tubewell construction tectnigues

and inchide provision of soil and water surveys

‘eyond the purview of individual Farmers but

Tarmers” economic and social

seen foe sustain

+ Ensure a miacro-economic framework dat wil reward the Farmers” and terchant” die for

low costs and high rtums hase on real ast, Boa Financial and economic rteso rere must

he satisfactory an a sstained basis an void lunsstainable subsidies, since their removal oul lea 10 projet’ calle

+ Ensure the avsilsbility of foreign exchange needed to secure supplis of spare pts inputs 1nd adequate repair facilities and ensure that there is the essential infrastructure needed lor ` " 1+ Make prosision for traning in maintenance and lergation wechniques for farmers, preferably leough private sector supplies; ad ensue that enviromental eonsiderations ate pronided To suchas theetfoctof gation on health drainage and erosion contol which my not be evident

Sunes ARCS

A wide range of established and well-documented tealitional technalogie is asailahle for use by smalholders, These clearly play a significant sole

in the region and will continue to do s0, Th Mill considerable room 4ø adapt traditional technologies to diferent cisumstinces, which hocause of thei low cast ad simplicity ean an) minained by siallboiders with litle oF be used external suppor, They ave particularly suited to Subsistence faning and equally have an important role to playin the transition to ash exopping For this reas they have altace ic interest from sid donors and gosermmenis wishing £0 support Subsistence Fanning Mian lessons leaned shout what needs toe done have been concemed! more with the says in shih such technologies can be introduced into Farming systems rather than the technologies per se However tet are stilleoncems at the technology aad the ably of people 19 design and eonsteact good engineering works that

‘ill proside lasting service Tere is also a danger that “low-cost solutions, which may be ataetive

to ald donors, may become a euphemism for poor enginoering,

Sinaltholder ivigaion technology: prospects or sbSaharan Area 1

“The term “modern technology” in relation to

inrgation usually refers toon-farmiigation stems such as sprinkler and trickle igation It can also

mean the inroduetion of piped dstebution systems

For surface igation as well asthe use of treadle

pumps (a recent innovation in Africa) othe use of

petrol and diesel driven pumps in areas where such

technology i ot normally used Some professionals

and policy-makers perceive modem technologies as

an intervention that ean improve erop yields and

‘ality and, atthe same time, reduce water wastage

{abetterterm to use than irigationeffcieney which

can be misleading), Most modern technology developments have

been driven by the needs ofthe developed werld 0

reduce labour inputs, Keep energy costs a ow as

possible and reduce water wastage, while

‘nintaning operational reliability Inthe rigation

sector itis the large commercial agricultural

cnferprises tht have driven such developments and

the results have been impressive Production costs

have fallen and erop yields and quality have

improved ‘Can similar benefits be realized by small

in developing countries? Cornish (1998)

summarizes te sues He quotes Hill (1989) who

expressed concerns about the way in whieh

‘manufacturers, and farmers 38 customers for their

products inthe developed world are fascinated by

sophisticated technology and eager to have more

specialized and inicate hardware vo use He states

hat; "In the non-ndstrial cures the important

auributes are, low-cost, simplicity of design and

‘operation, reliability longevity few manufactured

prs that must be imported, easy maintenance nd

Jow energy requirements” Hillel also suggests that

generally the “ahour economy is less important.”

Phusuelec eta 1988) also arg that one of the Uriving forces for sprinkle and wickle isigation

development has been the intrest and investment

fn the part of private sector manufacturers of

ircigation equipment For the majority of

smaloldesin developing counties grovvng staple

‘crops with existing surface iigation schemes and

Jw labour cost, returns ean seldom justify the

capital expenditure associated with equipme

‘modern irigation equipment is trading money for Tabour and skill Keller also stresses that the

‘opportunity cost of money for smallholders is very high whilst that of labour and taditional kil i low Farmers will make the investment in modem equipment only when the financial recur is clear and relatively assred, For many poor farmers the idea ofa cash invesiment is inconceivable without

«reid institutional support that ensures succes Very few farmers in Europe and the USA survive without subsidies and Financial support fom _Eovernments yet poor firmersin Africa are expected to sand on their own feet with itl or no support

‘Modern technologies ar unlikely tobe taken up

by poor subsistence farmers eeause they are mostly concerned wih food security and minimizing isk,

‘Those tecnologies are more likely to be adopted

by Farmers that have boen able to diversity faring income beyond hase food crops and who are able

to consider marketing produce outside the home

‘The issue here is howto help farmers move into the

development ofa range of coping statezies ow successful have these technologies heen in the developing world as opposed to the more sophisticated social and economic environments of the developed world? Ate the tradition: technologies being ignored because it is psychologically easier o investi sprinkler and Urckleirigation, which ae pereived as “efficient snd modern’, wheres surface irigation is regarded ay“old and infficien? Most important, are the new technologies, which ate supposed 10 improve inrgation and reduce risk, only introducing new problems that mightexpose farmers to higher feel

Of risk than before?

Some use souroes of information include

Cornish (1998) wha prod thorough review of

soak technologies for smalihokders in eveloping

countries He points out that many modeen

technologies are not suite Lo slo irigsion

Camanh bạt dailhle technnlogies su demles

features making them soituhle for use by

sspallhoers Kay (1983) provides practical details

fa wide range of sprinkle irigation eguipment and Keller and Bleisner (990) deserve both sprinkle

and trickle irrigation systems in detail as well as

providing design exaonples Key and Babe (2000)

have recently published a review of the potential

fo the use of teadle pumps in Aiea Bemtun and

Sout (1994) produced a report whic eviews the

‘sco bred pipelines for surface iigation and thir

potential otaprove water managennent and reduce

Smee hanoxH0x

Sprinkle ierigation is used on approximately

five percent of irrigated fad throughout he world

‘he majority of which isn developod counties lí

5 unlikely to replace the lrg tess unde sures

ga, Fessentially the remaining 95 pereent

except fora small amount of tickle), Sprnble

inrigaton has a distinct advantage, becanse good

water management practices are bull ito the Sprinkle irigation technol

provide the Nesibilty and simphity required for

Aseesil operation, nependent ofthe ati sil

{and topgeapic conditions Pups pipes and on-

farm equipment ean all be

reduce upiform irgation ata contolled water

application rate and provided simple operatin

procedures are followed, th ing

shill required fhe responsibility fr successful irigation in the of he operator are minimal, Tis pus

hands ofthe designer rather hat leaving entirely

to the Farmer Spine can he mach simpler 0

‘operate and roquites fewer water management skills

However i requiees sophisticated design sill and

f-fim support i terms of maintenage andthe

supply of spate pars, Sprinkle is potnially less wasteful of waterand

uses less labour than sirace ieigaion {ean be

dae more easily to sandy soi subject to erosion

fm undulating ground, which may he sot tore

snide for surface methods, There are many types of

Sprinkle systensavalale to suit a wide Sariety of

operating conditions, The most common for

smallholders is a system using pottable pipes

Arie foreiron of sprinkle developments is the centre pivot machine, wich ‘tate These machines ane very adaptable In he ca erga up 0 1 he

sla shape fields crossing field boundaries inigate several fos growing dtferent ees athe

‘a ie, One machine was used wo irigate several farms where the farmers desided wo cooperate, Here he Farmers’ 9Ì in Hrigaing large areas having

‘nultiple oxnersip and mininal inputs should not

be underestimated iby is well-known exaiple of thet ase for iigatng large deser areas, As fat

2 the farmers under the pivots were concerned it ined once a cek asthe pivot rotted From a management point of view spriakle irigation provided a relatively simple system to operate allowed farmers to-do the ring, Altough the stills needed 0 operate these machines and 10 inlan the must ao he underestimated hey ae

no more than those required to keep motorears

‘unig In most developing countries technicians

đản his very successtlly i he private sectors This is nat s0 much to advocate the widespread use of

sf pivot machin for sinallners but point

‘out tha technology ean be very’ adaptable al ean

be used in inosaine ways hon the contin ae sight Table 2 provides a summary of the disferem sprinkle systers sable,

Sprinkle for smaltholders?

‘suipment specifically sited for use by whe sill farmer hath in terms Comish (1998) lists several counties where af technology and cos sprinkle irrigation as been used t9 supporl smallholder devefopment in countees outside of sub-Saharan Aiea steh as fordan, Israel, Cyprus tind others The problem i tha oat reports do no Usually answer sti smmportant questions as who pays Tor dhe equipment whe ostns anal nuns the

Sat kelndlkt: pnitenr

-Tabl 2 Summary of sprinho tigation ystems

shauna đấu

Sees Gresiponenay iagston ườ

Fes payee, Sul for nat ganna

schemes and just how sueeessfil they have been in

reeting users aspirations?

Zimbabwe experience

baby is sposial when i comes 10 irigaion

‘equipment because it has a history of large

«commercial farming sprinkle and trickle irrigation manufacturing (200 haan more} on which a

distributing and support network has grown Zimbabwe also has 2 large smallholder farming

‘community and ates have been made to adapt

those same systems to their ness Saistvang one

lage farm having single rap is athe diferent

Fem satistying 200 farers on the sme ld tes

rowingmany dtferent raps at differen times, The

Technical problems of adaptation can be

considerable Diemer (2000) looked at a sprinkle Scheie here the layout normaly used for hrge

‘Somme arms was ransered without ane to the smallholder situation It ereated endless

managenient problems that were eventually solved

by rearanging the same equipment in a diferent,

layout By using Mevible hoses to supply water 0

sprinklers rather than the rigid aluminiom pipe Tivos this system sas found to he svuoh mone

adaable to the needs of salle, The government irrigation design and

construction service, Agritex, has been at the forefront of developing new schemes for

ssrallholers recent comprehensive sty (FAO

2000) often smallholder Tou sucface} has highlighted some of thesnecesses schemes si sprinkler and

and falures The schestes anal typical smaller

desolopments tht were iniated and Financed by 2

in the bor Chitora, Zinbabuve ~ a success: Nees Manna, Zibobwe ~ a falar Except in one of two eases where there was reference (poor design of layouts and equipment

‘he technology sed ws nota major determinant it the snecess oF File of the schemes although it tay’ ave played a role, Sprinklers eat simply insgation management and although iL was net siscussed, the long history of sprinkle erigaton in

‘the country is likely to have created canfidence among farmers thatthe technology would work well

‘aif not then it would not heticut tog it xed ‘What is clear from the study

the complex soeial, economic, teeical and institutional sues

‘uroudng smallholder inigatinn schemes making each one unique and demonstrating the importance

‘of getting the muita right, I als emphasizes the point na by others that small-scale does not mean Simple ‘The FAO sud has some gener conclusions: 1+ 1eas essential for farmers to tly paniciate hua the project planning implementation and valuation no st benetiiaies oF projects phases and be weated as "owners + Consultants enzages io implementsuch should have experience in participatory rural schemes appraisal and smallholder irrigation

‘development + Only projects that are technically sound should

be handed over to farmers

dorm technologies

(Crone Zaman ~ 4 scenes

“hi E a mai schere rgaing enh 9 ha wth rag hose spinors 6 one ofthe most succesil farmer manages irgatn schemes the cour In operation since 1994 i un by young pope aged 220 27

‘Years who were wahout os ad were dependent on ba paren for everyting, Thapar ‘ito engage in rged sgreuizs an co 18 of hex hisren accepted the ofr of maton suppor fom lạt hay were oo Agnes te goverment nigsion development agency Agrx provided al the nuts forthe scheme ncuding {Mose for he fist groing season From then on the young farmers Pad to fsnce the chen tersehes

‘They worenvlved ever slagect develoent rom leeing olmplemaniston and row Nave tulresperstay for operation and maintenance

“Tne copping pogamme is essemlaly fr igh value honiutual crops grown for he makes onthe cust

‘ot Harare where era's a darand for good quay vogetables Gran maize ie not grown bacause farmers

‘igus Pat is cheaper to buy I lsowhere tan 1 pode It themselves, Te argue ‘inci of cpporny cst, is based cn the Farmers acome average 2560000 pe year corgsred kân at 2516800 site abour wages the town The farmers soe no reason fo mira io the tows whore they ae wel aware that costs of hịng

‘rou be mụch hghec

“The scheme i entity iarmermanaged through a sje of byelaws enlorced by an igaton Management

‘Gomme thats responsi or coordralng al schee acivles ncudng payrmertef bit la slectcy,

‘aitenanee work, nonbiysubserptons rom tamer, mastasing cline the shore and eaocalin pes

‘The tamers conn receiva suppor tom Agitxin helm traning and extonsion sence The sucoseil Berormance af tho sehome reported a enue lamers senee 6 oenaahp end to Da! fat ne Scheme belongs fo thêm nt posable 1o say what le tchnology played in ia success Unde)

‘tater management wes made ease fo deal wit andthe avaliy of spare pars neers suppor Zinbabwo ous a ote sour ol armors using sue eyo

Neca Mat ZueaetE Ai

‘This ea cormmunal scheme bls he same te a8 Chior bt on larger sole aa pat oan a proc assocatod weh dam consucin ts yieal fa government bul and in ign scheme hat has no Gets in geting amor fo ‘on Be scheme erginaly const tre Dena The some covers 216

ha wit 154 pos fenging rom 0.5 to 1-5 ha, rian is by puns fa by gravity ereoreavonng the problems of pursing Law value cops are grown wih vary fw high value vegetables Since fs ncpton Hi

1908 the schema has ot un wel Farmers camed thoy ero naver coneutod about the scheme an were

‘ita hey woul lo that la ecorenues obo un by be Goveront, whch aso pays or actin, wate ng servepe Ths loa 1 scant rear for tho sof water and lotily bythe tame Farmers re felicia o take over tho responsibly of tuning and maintaining he scheme hemselves and compl ai the infield designs are nacequat, which leads fo regular putes betven the farmers and goverment lngMulone

+ ICs important to help farmerswith inputs for the frst season so that they can build a cash base

to-ease cath Now

out the worl! that younger people tend ta

re receptive to new ideas, particularly to new technology and may’ also be in a position to tke rater aks than thei elders wh have more faily respomsbiies Targeting young fsrmers may be

‘one srategy that is worthy of further ates

+ Farmer managed ivigation seems can reduce the financial burden onthe government in terms

‘of operation and maintenance

systematie strategy fo handing over government managed schemes 1 Famers South Africa experience

‘+The issue of inheritance asi aloes Hand tenure

should be decided in the planning and

management of smallhokerierigation schemes

(One interesting fact, which stot ased by ater

Investigators, ithe age profile of the farmers on

the Chior irrigation scheme, Its wel recognize

Salter ieigation technolo: prospect for sub Saharan Africa ư

Ewenence rou ourooe me noe

Moxieohasahistory of egates agit having

(ver 6 millon hạ Under trgaton (Manuel an

‘Maldonado 1009) Sợinfergalonhe longbeon

—— gation evetcpment

‘nalarge sale and in partcuar by FIRCO (rust Fund for Shared Fisk) which Is part of

Secretariat of Agiculae, Livestock and Rut!

Deelopment fe Goversment of Mexico

‘A fecont development as undeikon iy ‘eglon ofthe country Dutng te tres years f is

rogramme twas reported tat 1000 spinor

Irigaton modules (esch a 0.1 ha) war netaog

in 60 communis belonging le 35 aitferent

‘uincipalties, The reaeon ‘given for using

Spent and ecko was wale early andthe

problems related ous mare vation matods Ot gation The cost of atonal was USSS00/

hạ meblslon cost ware borne by the farmere

‘iho eontibuled tet labour and govertment

engineer provided techni asitanes Themen (ops grown inuded com an beans may or

Selt-cansumption as both staple crops are

frpensiv orsltoscommniins wo are stant

trommarats Famers were epondta be seeing

‘change ther copring patter sat both hec

home neds and Yo grow veetaies fr tho cy

Anough hare were no scatons ot he extent of farmer funding and InvoWenent inthe Semone,

eco has a wadeveaped igaton sector and

TrBilolytatfiesehone lbuldon < vadten

Where tis wiately success remains To bo

cropping shea, barley, corn, peanuts and cotton

(Valmont personal communication) The project

which was originally installed to sel farmers in

the forme ‘homelands’ so farhas 73 pivots installed «ach irigting 40 ha The operation and maintenance

services are all contacted out 10 an independent

contactor whose oles to keep the irgaton system) ‘running, Government support the farmers through

{fll rnge of extension services, The installation

‘costs were estimated to be around USS! 000s, Unfortunately there is very litte information

available shout how successful nd sustainable this

kind of development ean be There are worrying

signs thatthe approach may be too “top-down

“Ti ky NGA

“Tickle and emitters that can deliver small frequent or dip iigation comprises systemof pipes

tigations to individual plants Thistechnology can

provide farmers with a method of precise contol

‘oer the timing and amount of iigation aso they can easily meet the crop water demand without wasting water Wastage can ony occur if the system is Ff running for too long or there re leaks in the pipes ‘Trickle irrigation is not yet widely used on a world seale, and covers less than 0.1 percent of irigsted land Even in Israel, where mich ofthe

«al research and development was done and water is very scare, trickle has not Mourshed as much as right he thought Sprinkle irrigation stil provides

‘more than 70 percent of Israel's gation because

‘iss stil considered to bea most efficient method

‘of iigaton and one that is Financially viable Claims made about crop yields and water saving

‘eed toe judge with cae Sales people often imply there is something magic about trickle irigation

‘when the refer to substantial increases in ie and savings in water use There is no magic Crops respond primarily to water and not so much to the

‘method of application They ned the same amount

‘of water to grow properly whether ths is applied with wiekle irigation or with surface flooding methods Ifthe ight amount of water is applied 10 the erop athe ight ime it will lourish Similarly

‘watersavings ean only be made by reducing wastage and not by reducing the amount of water the crop reeds Ironically many farmers end up applying

‘more water when using trickle irigation because the system allows then © apply water more easily

‘than with other methods ‘A major echnical problem with tickle gation

is emitter and lateral blockage from sand and sil chemical precipitation from groundwater and algae from surface water Each of the problems takes the

se of trickle nto level of technology and support that can be dificult 49 sustain in @ developing country: On a smal scale the farmer can simply g0 round and clean the system regularly, which ean

‘overcome these problems but ona larger scale this

‘would not be practicable However, there are conditions that make this

‘method of irigation a very attractive option, Ie is

‘ideally suited to areas where water iy searce oF expensive, where water may be saline, where labour

‘oss are high and where soils are poor An important advantage isthe ease with which nutrients can be applied with the ierigation water This is much mone liul to do with oer ierization methods ‘A distinct advantage of tickle fr smallholders isthe way in which ican be adapted to small and

‘varied plos of land, This is how irckle is being used