Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Given the generally low levels of fertilizer use in Africa, there can be little
doubt that fertilizer use must increase if the region is to meet its agricultural
growth targets, poverty reduction goals, and environmental sustainability
objectives. For this reason, policies and programmes are needed to encourage
fertilizer use in ways that are technically efficient, economically rational, and
market-friendly (Morris et al., 2007).
Also some horticultural crops are highly vulnerable to pests and diseases;
often these crops are introduced without accompanying programs of pest and
disease management, which drastically reduces yields and the profitability of
farming (Awulachew et al., 2005).
Finally, in many African countries the management of smallholder irrigation
schemes by parastatal agencies have left behind a legacy of a dependent and
impoverished group of farmers (Shah et al., 2002). For example in South
African irrigation schemes managed by the Agriculture Rural Development
Corporation (ARDC), all that the farmers did was to weed, harvest and
move irrigation pipes around. They did not invest much working capital nor
did they take management and entrepreneurial decisions. Farmers were
reduced to collecting wages for weeding and harvesting. Scheme managers
have mostly attempted to 'manage' farmers rather than encourage
entrepreneurial development (Shah et al., 2002). In such instances farmers
are not stimulated to develop their innovation capacity to improve
production, evidenced in consistent low productivities. This situation is
similar in other African countries. As a result farmers are not able to
contribute to the management of irrigation schemes. In the case where
management is transferred to irrigators, more challenges are encountered
because the farmers have yet to build up the capacity to manage the
schemes.
3.5 S
UCCESS
F
ACTORS FOR
A
CHIEVING
P
RODUCTIVE AND
S
USTAINABLE
I
RRIGATION
D
EVELOPMENT IN
S
UB
-S
AHARAN
A
FRICA
3.5.1
Background
The above listed challenges need to be addressed holistically in order to
achieve sustainable upscaling of irrigation development in sub-Saharan
Africa. Having reviewed the challenges, the next step is to establish the way
forward for successful irrigation development in sub-Saharan Africa. It calls
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