EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The project “Identification and Dissemination of Good Practices in Irrigated Schemes in West Africa” was financed by the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs and implemented by IPTRID, in partnership with EIER, PSI-CORAF, AFAR^TCT, AMVS, SPFS and Senagrhy SA. The study was carried out over one to three cropping season on twelve irrigated schemes in five West African countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal). The objectives were to identify, characterize and assess practices, at levels of plot and scheme, individual and collective, technical, organizational and financial, and to disseminate practices having a positive impact. The project also aimed to provide an overall view of rice production in West Africa.

A first result is the construction of a database on agronomic, hydraulic, economic and organizational aspects, which provides precise and recent information on the technical and economic performances of Sahelian irrigated schemes. The project also developed a Rapid Comparative Diagnostic methodology (DCR) to analyse practices and performances. The project’s real added value lies in the comparative analysis conducted at regional level. This approach led to the identification of principles leading to the improvement of performance and of the “good practices” associated with these principles. The study presents twenty-six case studies of “good practices” in standardized format (objectives, description, context, and evaluation) along with alternative practices.

While the potential for irrigation in Sub Saharan Africa is yet to be exploited and rice production cannot satisfy the growing demand, rice oriented irrigated schemes are much criticized for their high investment costs, deterioration of the infrastructure, low cropping intensity, stagnating yields and the non-competitiveness of local rice.

Twelve schemes were comparatively analysed (pump irrigated with total water control, collectively transferred to farmers associations). It will be found that the conclusion contrasts with the pessimistic view of irrigated agriculture in Sahelian Africa. Although variable, the average economic results are encouraging. The value of work ranges between 1 000 and more than 5 000 FCFA/day worked depending on the level of mechanization, net income/farm/season varies between 100 000 and 400 000 FCFA. The contribution of the irrigated scheme to the family basic food coverage varies from 30 to 190 percent. Under certain conditions, rice production proves attractive for farmers. The production cost of paddy ranges between 54 and 95 FCFA/kg and that of rice from 97 to 229 FCFA/kg which could ensure local rice competitiveness if “good practices” were adopted. However, because of the high yield variability between farmers of one scheme, disruptions in the production chain, limited irrigated surfaces per family and low cropping intensity, farmers have difficulties marketing their product. Nevertheless, while the financial sustainability of these schemes is rarely ensured, results show that, under certain conditions, irrigated agriculture can be financially viable. Beyond these results, irrigation improves family food security with a minimum yield. Furthermore, irrigated rice satisfies a new demand for white rice and the income generated makes rural livelihood more attractive, which tends to reduce rural exodus.

Hydraulic results also are encouraging, and farmers associations are developing interesting practices. First, the analysis shows that all the schemes surveyed make provisions to replace their pumping equipment. Several already demonstrated adequate financial and organizational capacity to renew their pump, using their own resources or external credit. Several farmers associations have succeeded in meeting irrigation requirements at relatively low pumping costs while providing a certain equity in water supply. Maintenance charges are still often undervalued, but farmers tend to be increasingly aware of the importance of good maintenance, and adopt practices to address this point.

Nevertheless, farmers’ hydraulic skills remain insufficient to achieve an efficient, productive and sustainable irrigation. Experience shows that further training to professional standards of water management would be successful, for both operation and maintenance. In this perspective, external services providers represent one solution to introduce the required capacities, either in the form of advice on an ad hoc basis or through the out-sourcing specific irrigation tasks.

Data analysis of agronomy at field level show highly heterogeneous results due to various farmers practices on one scheme. There are significant possibilities of augmenting yield without increasing agricultural costs for the application of a given dose of fertilizer. Quality of work and field follow up, adequate input composition and means of application, respect of the cropping calendar, appropriate weed control, sound water management at plot level, etc. are principles that make a seven t/ha yield realistic. Subsequently, input intensification would be better valorized, lead to a further increase in yield and help maintain it over time.

Yet, these agricultural “good practices” are sometimes absent from irrigated schemes or regions.

The dissemination of knowledge is definitely problematic, but cannot completely explain extension failure on this matter (e.g. the combination of urea and DAP is fairly common in Mali and Senegal but absent in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger).

Many farmers actually know the recommendations without implementing them, either because of collective, external constraints, or because they do not correspond to their individual strategies. The rapid withdrawal of the State from irrigated rice-producing schemes has left a vacuum, which has not yet been filled by other actors, such as farmers associations or other private sector operators. Often informal production chains remain partially structured and perform poorly. This has resulted in expensive inputs, limited access to credit and difficult marketing. Often farmers make do with their economical and technical methods that either affect their agricultural practices and performances, or make it difficult for them to sell their paddy at a suitable price.

Hence, a few farmers’ associations attempt to balance the decision-making process at all levels of the production chain, regaining control over their production systems and becoming actively involved in input supply, financing and marketing networks. Such provision of professional training to farmers, farmers’ associations and the entire production chain is necessary to achieve sustainability of irrigated schemes. This process requires real commitment from farmers and also their empowerment to face the challenges of self-governance.

By way of their different organizational and institutional set-ups, some schemes testify of a relative organizational maturity. This implies that various principles were respected: dialogue, transparency, decentralization toward grass root organizations, financial autonomy of these organizations, clear sharing of responsibilities, professional management, different levels in organizations (especially above scheme level), rules and sanctions actually applied. Irrigating farmers have to craft their own institutions instead of replicating existing ones. To achieve this empowerment of farmers, their capacities need strengthening.

New extension methods, capacity building and support approaches integrating these constraints should be developed to enable farmers to adopt “good practices” ensuring in turn sustainability of irrigated systems.