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West Africa Water Initiative - n/a Enterprise & Agriculture Ghana, Mali 2003 - 2005 USAID |
Teaching the Benefits of Micro Irrigation
RATIONALEMali has a large natural resource base for agricultural production. At this time the rural economy relies on rain-fed agriculture which results in inconsistent revenue from year to year. An increase in the use of irrigation could have many benefits. Crop production would increase, improving market opportunity both domestically and internationally. The income of local farmers, who are primarily women, would increase.
OBJECTIVES
Winrock's pilot project aims to increase horticultural crop production by training farmers on the use of micro irrigation equipment in selected areas in Mali. The project will also work with private sector partners to develop the opporunities in regional and export markets.
ACTIVITIES
During the first one and half year pilot phase of Winrock's Mali West Africa Water Initiative (WAWI) project activities will focus on: demonstration sites; training; irrigation technology evaluation; marketing; and supply chain development. Four demonstration plots will be installed and tested over the course of two growing cycles. Winrock staff will provide training to leader farmers and World Vision staff in all aspects of agricultural irrigation. The World Vision staff will then take over supervision of the demonstration sites. A variety of irrigation techniques will be tested to determine the most suitable technology for the region. Marketing strategy will focus on market opportunities, quality control, and developing relationships between producers and buyers. This will lead to supply chain development. The entire process will be reviewed in an evaluation/feasibility study that will help guide the design of a larger program.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
A total of 30 farmers (19 men, 11 women) directly participated in micro irrigation technology demonstrations during the first season. Home garden, vegetable, horticulture, and micro-sprinkler drip kits were demonstrated at each of the 18 project sites. Participants unanimously agreed that drip irrigation was a great improvement over the traditional irrigation practices. Farmers cited significant reductions in water use, reductions in labor cost, improved crop production, and ease of use as some of the advantages found in using micro irrigation technology.