FAO and IFC publish new irrigation market briefs
In Africa, agribusiness has the potential to reduce poverty and drive economic growth more than any other sector. But unlocking that potential will require a significant increase in historically low levels of productivity − an area where irrigation can play an important role.
In a series of joint market briefs, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, reviewed the current state of irrigation markets in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and Zambia, including performance and opportunities for growth.
The market briefs target private sector investors and companies interested in investing in modern irrigation technologies in sub-Saharan Africa, but are of wider interest to stakeholders engaged in agricultural development in these countries.
"Sub-Saharan Africa holds the greatest potential for expanding irrigated agriculture, considering both its land and water resources" said Lisa Paglietti, an FAO Investment Centre economist and one of the briefs' main authors. "The region has the lowest proportion of total cultivated area under irrigation at just over 3 percent, compared with the global average of almost 21 percent."
"Modern irrigation systems could substantially increase irrigated agricultural production, ensure a more efficient use of resources, including limited water resources, and reduce the effects of drought " she added.
The World Bank Group's target of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity is strongly aligned with support for development within the agriculture sector and in particular for irrigation, said Richard Colback, an agricultural water specialist with the IFC.
"The sustainable use of water for the irrigation of crops addresses a growing need across Africa for effective responses to the economic and resource constraints," he said.
"Irrigation can provide a fundamental change in stability and profitability across agricultural value chains," he said. "It requires development of the private sector that ranges from the suppliers of equipment and finance to primary agricultural producers and agribusinesses.”
"This series of country diagnostics provides insight into opportunities and constraints within a cross section of sub-Saharan Africa that reflects IFC’s diverse geographical support for the private sector,” he said.
Contact
Lisa Paglietti [email protected]