Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 6
P RODUCTIVITY OF I RRIGATION T ECHNOLOGIES
IN THE W HITE V OLTA SUB - BASIN 4
6.1 I NTRODUCTION
Studies have shown that an increase in irrigation productivity which results
in improved farm income creates an increase in demand for local non-
tradable goods and services, which offer labour opportunities to the poorest
segments of the rural population, promotes local agro-enterprises and
stimulates the agricultural sector as a whole (Lipton et al., 2003; Smith,
2004; Hussain et al., 2004). In most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, increasing
agricultural productivity is often the only way out of poverty, and new
irrigation development can be a springboard for economic development
(Faurès et al., 2007). In the face of many disappointing experiences with
irrigation development in sub-Saharan Africa, investing in irrigation requires
empirical evidence of the potential productivities of the prevailing irrigation
technologies, and a comparative analysis to inform irrigation policy.
So far little is known on the productivity of irrigation technologies adopted
by smallholder farmers and the factors influencing productivity in the Volta
basin. Few research activities have been conducted on the productivity of
small and medium reservoirs in the White Volta sub-basin. Faulkner (2008)
looked at the performance of two small reservoirs (Tanga and Weega) in the
Upper East Region of Ghana and found that because of the high water
availability in the Tanga system water management was relaxed, which
resulted in inefficient irrigation water-use methods. By virtue of this the
Tanga system was less profitable in water and land. Faulkner (2008) argues
that the increased profit per unit of cultivated land was not due to water
stress or irrigation technique or management but rather due to differences in
fertilizer, pesticide and seed inputs. Mdemu (2008) found that the
contribution of irrigation to tomato production in the Upper East Region of
Ghana was high, that irrigation plots were over-irrigated by 11 to 70%, and
that water use efficiencies were higher under small reservoir irrigation than
in systems with large reservoirs. Both studies only considered irrigation
technologies that sourced water from reservoirs. Meanwhile there are other
4 This is chapter is based on Ofosu, E. A., van der Zaag, P., van de Giesen, N., Odai,
S.N., 2010. 'Productivity of Irrigation Technologies in the White Volta basin'. Phys-
ics and Chemistry of the Earth 35: 706-716.
 
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