Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
when the streamflow is low and may be insufficient especially towards the
end of the dry season.
Figure 5.5: a) Diesel pump abstracting water from river b) method of
transporting and applying water under riverine irrigation technology.
In 2005, the MOFA Regional Directorate conducted a successful field trial of
growing maize as a third crop per year by pumping water from the White
Volta for irrigation. The average yield was 3.7 ton/ha, compared to a
national average of 2.5 ton/ha and a regional average of less than 1.2 ton/ha.
Irrigation is certainly a major factor for this yield difference. MOFA planned
in 2005 to plant one vegetable crop and one maize crop during the dry
season, and one cereal crop during the rainy season (Birner et al., 2005).
Farmers irrigating downstream of the Vea Irrigation Scheme were seen
following this initiative by MOFA in the 2007/2008 dry season.
Irrigators who use pumps for extracting water from the White Volta and
other streams plant crops directly on the river banks. This has caused major
problems of erosion, as well as pollution from chemicals applied on farms,
and goes against existing regulations by MOFA that frobids the cultivation
of lands located within 100m from the river course. In practice what this
would imply is that the water is pumped out of the White Volta over this
distance (100m), and then by gravity the farm plots are irrigated, taking
advantage of the sloping lands. MOFA also instituted a rule that the 100m
strip should be planted with economic trees such as cashew and mango to
provide an income; and where the reserved 100m strip is not yet deforested,
the forest should be protected. There have been difficulties in enforcing these
regulations, however. The White Volta sub-basin Board has tried to improve
enforcement by involving traditional authorities and the District Assemblies,
and providing awareness campaigns (Birner et. al., 2005). However,
enforcement of the instituted measures is still lacking.
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