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Scaling up irrigation benefits Ethiopian farmers
Tamirat Bekele
Owing to the natural resource utilization policy of the government, the country is doing its best to introduce smallholder farmers with irrigation. So far, small-scale irrigation schemes are being expanded throughout the length and breadth of the country.
According to Green Development in Ethiopia (2016/17) which the Government Communication Affairs office issued, there is about 5.3 million hectares of irrigable land in Ethiopia. For instance, during the first Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-I)— that stretched from 2010/11 to 2014/15— it was planned to develop 15.3 percent of the irrigable land from only 2.4 percent in the preceding years, it states.
Thus, the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, State Governments, Sugar Corporation and Private Investors separately planned to prepare designs and develop 746,334 hectare of land with irrigation. Surpassing the plan, the stated parties have prepared designs that help the development of over eight hundred thousand hectares of land.
The government has also planned to construct 658,340 hectare of irrigation structures during the GTP-. And 283,408 hectares (43%) have been achieved, the same source shows. In addition, 6,570 hectare of land was planned to be rehabilitated using irrigation. Due to the efforts of fall stakeholders, twenty thousand hectare (307%) has been achieved. In a nutshell, the irrigation development which stood at 2.4 percent (127,243 hectares) in 2009/10 was pushed to eight percent in 2014/15 (410,650 hectares).
As the GTP- II master plan and other relevant documents show, the country’s surface water can develop over three million hectares of land. This will help to develop a total of 179 medium and large-scale farms in various places, on one hand. On the other hand, Ethiopia can develop 16 medium and large-scale irrigation schemes using groundwater.
This in turn will irrigate over two million hectare of land. Thus, by the end of GTP II, 73 medium and large irrigation lands will be developed using surface and groundwater. To accomplish the plan, manual and motor pumps as well as traditional and modern methods of river diversion have been introduced in States … the country’s surface water can develop over three million hectares of land. This will help to develop a total of179 medium and
large-scale farms in various places, on one hand. On the other hand, Ethiopia can develop 16 medium and large-scale irrigation schemes using groundwater. This in turn will irrigate over two million hectare of land. like Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples and Tigray. In addition, household reservoirs and communal ponds have been constructed in most States.
These states have promoted their irrigation system to an encouraging level despite some limitations. Especially, in States like Tigray where their environment was highly deteriorated due to many reasons, irrigation schemes have been practiced wisely and properly. As a result, fruitful results have been registered. The plans and implementations so far are self-evident truth in that Ethiopia would no longer depend on rain to maximize its agricultural outputs. Now, the government is committed more than any time ever. It has attached due priority to all kinds of irrigation schemes.
Indigenous knowledge systems and the introduction of promising household water harnessing and micro-irrigation technologies could be taken as additional mechanisms to expand the scheme. Apart from alleviating rain dependency, the schemes could also help to rehabilitate degraded lands and to preclude soil erosion. The Journal of Environment and Earth Science 2015 indicates that about 1.9 billion metric tons of topsoil is lost annually which negatively affects water and land resources and agricultural productivity.
In fact, there are various challenges that hinder the development of irrigation. Salinity is one of the serious issues in some large-scale irrigation schemes. Furthermore, there are serious challenges which have been hindering the irrigation system for many years. Technical constraints and knowledge gaps have also been critical ones.
Furthermore, inadequate public awareness of irrigation water management, water saving irrigation technologies, in adequate knowledge on improved and diversified irrigation practices, shortage of basic technical knowledge on irrigation pumps and drip irrigation system as well as sprinkler irrigations, surface and spate irrigation methods, inadequate baseline data and information on the development of water resources and low productivity of existing irrigation schemes are among the challenges noticed in irrigation endeavors.
Having realized the water potential and other enabling conditions, the Ethiopian government is indefatigably focusing on utilizing every drop of water. It has been implementing internationally accredited policy that could sustain food security in the nation. As part of the efforts, there are several
tangible changes being witnessed in irrigation system in particular and agriculture sector in general. There is an incredible economic growth being registered both in rural and urban areas of the nation.
Ethiopian farmers who have been engaging in subsistence farming for centuries are now overwhelmingly changing their livelihood. They start to produce cash crops that can generate higher income for themselves and the country at large. Many farmers are using irrigation schemes to burgeon production at their plot of land in an inconceivable way.
If the current pace of growth continues, Ethiopia would declare itself as self-reliant middle income economy in the coming couple of years. Thus, the Ethiopian government has been striving to develop irrigation programs which could alleviate rain dependency and boost production and productivity. Nowadays, there are many mechanized irrigation projects in the country which are equipped with modern machinery and materials.
Moreover, the irrigation based agricultural program aims at ensuring the national food security. It has also a mission of producing industrial raw materials that can be used to process value added export goods. This would have pivotal contribution in helping the nation to transform from agriculture-led economy to industry-led one by 2025. All the resources—land, surface and underground water and suitable agro-climatic factor—are abundant. What is more, the government’s strong political commitment and its sound policies and strategies are key drivers to success the plans.
