IRRIGATION - Income Generating Public Works Programme (IGPWP)

IGPWP Irrigation Component

Introduction

Malawi’s economy remains agro-based where agriculture accounts for more than 80 percent of export earnings, contributes 38 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and provides a livelihood for over 85 percent of the population. Malawi has depended on rain-fed agriculture to achieve agricultural production, productivity and sustainable management of resources to achieve food security, increased income generation and ensure sustainable socio-economic growth and development. The over-dependence on rainfed agriculture has led to low agricultural production and productivity due to effects of climate change resulting into natural disasters such as unreliable rainfall patterns, droughts, floods pest and diseases etc. This has led to low socio-economic growth and development in the country. In an effort to address the situation the Government of Malawi has put irrigation and water development as one of the priority development policy for the country. The Income Generation Public Works Programme (IGPWP) is one of the Government initiatives to achieve the socio-economic growth and development of the country. The IGPWP is enhancing the socio-economic status of the community in the targeted areas by improving food security and household income through productive agricultural activities. Communities are being supported in the development of sustainable small scale Irrigation schemes. The schemes have greatly influenced household living standards through increased availability of food throughout the year resulting into household food security and nutrition security and improved household incomes through sales of irrigated crops.

Objectives
The objective of the Irrigation component of the IGPWP is to enhance productive agricultural activities through the provision of technical, material and financial support to communities for sustainable small-scale irrigation development.

Implementation Modality
Through the respective District Assembly structures, ccommunities in the targeted areas are sensitised on irrigation development and efficient use and management of land and water resources. The interested beneficiaries are empowered and supported to form village irrigation clubs comprising 6 to 20 households to be involved in the development of irrigation schemes. The irrigation schemes are assisted to initiate a variety of sustainable demand driven agricultural activities that would result into food security and improved income generation from crop sales. The irrigation schemes comprise gravity fed surface irrigation, water harvesting and storage and treadle pumps and other appropriate small scale technologies:

Stream Diversions: A stream diversion club comprises of 10 to 20 households. These are gravity fed schemes developed where there are perennial streams and water level at point abstraction is higher than the fields to be irrigated. Usually a weir is constructed to increase head at the diversion point. Water is conveyed from the stream to the field through canals or pipes. The club receive a performance incentive payment of average of MK60,000 year in the first year only and is used to boost income generating activities of their choice.
Treadle Pumps: A treadle pump club comprise of 6 to 10 households and each household receives a pump. The pumps are provided on loan at a subsidised cost of MK9,000. The responsibility of recovering the loan lies in the hands of the club executive who banks all the money recovered into the club savings account. The money from this savings account after full recovery of their loan is lent to club members with interest to boost income generating activities of their choice.
Water Harvesting: In both stream diversion and treadle pump irrigation promotion water harvesting is promoted for sustainable management of water resources. This is achieved through promotion of sunken beds as opposed to raised beds and construction water reservoirs including fish ponds.

An implementation process below was developed as a guide on the process to be followed:

Irrigation implementation method
5. January - February Meeting with DAs/stakeholders Community sensitization	6. March Farmer selection Club formation Staff trainings	1. April - June Farmer training Garden preparation Delivery of inputs Sowing and planting
		2. July - August Crop sales Credit repayment Garden preparation Sowing and planting
4. October - December Crop sales Credit repayment Rainfed inputs purchased Rainfed crops planted
	3. September - October Watering becomes more critical Crop sales Credit repayment

Activities and Targets
In the five years of implementation period of the IGPWP commencing August 2005, the target is develop 1,000 hectares of new land under irrigation through the installation of 5,500 treadle pumps irrigation development of 350 river diversion schemes. At least 12,000 households are expected to directly benefit from irrigation interventions.

Achievements

Over 9845 farmers have been organized into irrigation clubs out of which 9000 have already established irrigation schemes. 871 hectares have been developed under irrigation with 4,304 treadle pump farmers and 3885 river diversion farmers 330 water harvesting and fish farming farmers.

The irrigation beneficiaries are growing at least three crops in year. This has resulted into food self sufficiency and income generation from crop produce sales. The crops grown include maize, cabbage, onion, tomato, leafy vegetable and other indigenous vegetables.

Impact
The implementation of small scale irrigation activities has had very positive impact on the improvement of rural livelihood both to the direct and indirect beneficiaries of the programme.

Irrigation activities implemented significantly contributed to the improvement of both food security and nutrition security at household level. The beneficiaries have food available at household level throughout the year. In addition to food security the indigenous vegetables promoted have high nutritive value and are highly recommended for children as well as the chronically ill persons. The fish has communities provided the much need proteins in the diets of the communities.

Irrigation beneficiaries have been able to generate adequate income as they were able to harvest either twice or thrice per year and sell their produce. The beneficiaries have since accumulated personal assets such as motor vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, ox carts, generators, motorized pumps, TV sets, DVD players, radios, mobile phones and various types of livestock. Others have constructed good house with iron sheet roof. They were also able to pay for social services such school fees for their children, medical bills and other social commitments.

For sustainability of the programme beneficiaries are provided with hands own training on every aspect of production which is a lifetime asset. After providing inputs to communities for the first crop, the beneficiaries have been able to source inputs from crop sales for subsequent crops. To this effect beneficiaries who received inputs in the beginning of programme are continuing with production without any more support for inputs. In addition to the training irrigation activities are implemented by the irrigation technicians attached from the respective district assembly are trained in various aspects. This will leave the necessary knowledge and skills for training beneficiaries and continuity after phase out of the programme.