Integration of existing farming systems in hadejia Valley Irrigation Project

Balmisse Sébastien, Faure Guy, Ilu Ismailu Yakubu. 2003. Integration of existing farming systems in hadejia Valley Irrigation Project. In : Promotion of participatory irrigation management in Hadejia Valley Irrigation Project, Nigeria : experiences on approaches, lessons and prospects. Synthesis book. Abubakar Sadiq Zubair (ed.), Kuper Marcel (ed.). Ahmadu Bello University, CIRAD, HJRBDA. Samaru : Ahmadu Bello University, 12-18. ISBN 978-060-332-8

Chapitre d'ouvrage

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Résumé : Over the past three decades, the various governments in Nigeria have put constant efforts on promotion and development of modern irrigation scheme, as a way to increase food production and meet an ever-increasing demand. Despite all the investments put into development of large irrigation schemes, the overall performance of most of the latter have been below expectations (Kaliel, 1999). Hadejia Valley Irrigation Project (HVIP) had been recording low performance of dry-season irrigation activities since its inception in 1993. An average dry season cropping intensity of 16.3% had been recorded over the past six years (Kura, 2002). This scenario forced policy makers financiers to question issues such as returns on investment, and challenged researchers to uncover the reasons for the low performance. To accurately determine and appreciate the reasons for the low dry season cropping intensity, a better understanding of the context in which irrigation activities are carried out is needed. Irrigation activities are embedded within broad socio-economic and agro-ecological settings that strongly shape the farming system. In HVIP, other farming systems such as upland farming, fadama farming, cattle rearing and fishing. activities were existing before the inception of the irrigation scheme. I lence irrigation activities were added to the existing ones. Irrigation activities are therefore taking place within a complex system involving other activities that may influence, compete or complement its demand for finance, labor, input distribution, time and management. These conditions of production contribute in shaping the diverse strategies adopted by farmers in their production activities. Any intervention aimed at improving the cropping intensities and subsequently farmers' income has to clearly identify and target the different types of farmers. This paper examines the integration of irrigation farming into other farming systems using a typology to classify farmers who adopt similar strategies in the integration of these farming systems.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : système d'exploitation agricole, programme d'irrigation, calendrier cultural, système de production

Mots-clés géographiques Agrovoc : Nigéria

Mots-clés complémentaires : Stratégie paysanne

Classification Agris : P10 - Ressources en eau et leur gestion
F06 - Irrigation

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