The Africa Edition of the Irrigation Management Network Is Supported
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The Africa edition of the Irrigation Management Network is supported by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and July 1992 Papers in this set: IRRIGATION AND THE SONINKE PEOPLE: ORGANISATIONAL AND MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION AND PROSPECTS 14 Planning for Housing in Irrigation Settlement Schemes in Kenya: Ahero and West Kano Schemes by Dr Joyce Malombe. Georges Diawara1 15 Contract Farming and Rice Growers in The Gambia by Dr Judith Carney. 16 Irrigation and the Soninke People: Organisational and Management Contents Page Problems: Current Situation and Prospects by M Georges Diawara. 1. Background Information 3 17 Integrating Small Scale Irrigation Development with the Existing Agricultural System: A Case Study of Small Holder Swamp Rice Schemes 2. Organisational Problems 5 in Sierra Leone by Dr Karlheinz Knickel. 2.1 Factors relating to infrastructure, equipment, finance and human resources 2.2 Relationships between participants and organisational structures 7 2.3 Supply of inputs, marketing, transport and training 9 2.4 The production factor 10 2.5 Achievements and perspectives 11 2.6 Suggested solutions to organisational problems 12 3. Management Problems 13 3.1 Lack of confidence between members: causes and consequences for the agricultural scheme 14 Please send comments on this paper to the author or to: 3.2 The problem of non-reimbursement of loans: its causes and consequences for agricultural schemes 16 3.3 Recommended solutions Linden Vincent, Irrigation Management Network (African Edition), 18 Overseas Development Institute, Regent's College, Inner Circle, Regent's 4. Conclusion Park, London NW1 4NS 19 References Comments received by the Editor may be used in future Newsletters or 22 Network Papers Annex 1 24 Annex 2 25 The opinions represented are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Overseas Development Institute, or any organisation with which the Institute or author is connected. Executive Secretary, URCAK, Kayes, Mali. URCAK is Kayes Regional Union of Agricultural Cooperatives. ISSN: 0951 189X 1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Like that of any other society, the history of the Soninke people is closely connected with the availability of water. In our study, we consider the case of the Soninke in the Sahelian region of present day Mali and more particularly along the Senegal river and its tributary, the Faleme. Three phenomena are presently producing fundamental transformations in Soninke farming practices: drought which affects the whole population; development schemes in the Senegal river basin affecting the valley dwellers; and immigration. The second aspect took our interest and led us to base the study on experience with irrigation schemes, taking as our examples the Somankidi-coura, Moussala, Gakoura, Sobokou, and Lani-modi schemes on the Senegal river and Fegui, Sangalou and Gouthioube on the Faleme. Our study considers a series of questions within the context of the Soninke culture, which is not a simple task. Soninke society, although it has become more open to the outside world since the decline of the empire of Ghana, nonetheless retains a traditional culture and its own sets of values, shrewdly absorbing external inputs in an unhurried, measured, discerning and tactful manner. It is a dynamic society which has used its experience to bring about profound social transformations without brutality, on its own terms, giving pride of place to spiritual and economic matters. Mosques, health centres, water supply systems, wells and boreholes followed by schools, provide the physical evidence. Investment in transport and trade, animal husbandry and agriculture bear witness to the economic concerns which have created the image of the Soninke as peerless traders and tireless workers proud to display their assets. Naturally conservative, but great innovators with powers of observation and experimentation, the Soninke have a sense of moderation and caution which may make them appear outwardly naive, but 2. ORGANISATIONAL PROBLEMS fundamentally calculating. Any observer can see that the experience of setting up and managing The pride and sometimes arrogance they display is a clear sign of a minority irrigation schemes in Soninke country has been fraught with constraints. people safeguarding its identity. To analyse the issue of irrigation and the These constraints can only be tackled through organisation by the Soninke people from an institutional and functional perspective thus participants themselves: such organisation must necessarily be strong, multi- requires a participatory approach, failing which a wall of silence will be faceted and versatile. encountered and only superficial interpretation will be possible. Our study of the organisational problems encountered by selected schemes 1977 saw the first introduction of irrigated agriculture in the Soninke area, is based around results of a 10 day meeting in 1988 with all the officials with the Somankidi-coura, Moussala and Gakoura schemes, followed by involved in the field. We concentrate on the experience gained by Sobokou and Sangalou in 1980, Lany-modi in 1981, Gouthioube in 1982 and participant farmers between 1977 and 1988: this enables us to identify the Fegui in 1986. Eight schemes were set up over almost 10 years. The idea is principal difficulties in irrigation in Soninke country up to the present day. presently fashionable in Soninke country for a number of reasons. We place these problems in four main categories to present a broad view of a novel and quite complex situation. Several objectives lay behind the establishment of these schemes: Setting up an irrigation scheme and acquiring the means to operate and • The struggle to achieve food self sufficiency, income security and manage it present a considerable challenge. What may seem obvious or increased income for small farmers; commonplace to the layman will not be so in a real field situation. We should point out that Soninke country is not virgin territory, let alone • The attempt to provide an alternative solution to rural exodus by neutral terrain. setting up agricultural schemes to generate jobs for former or potential migrants; 2.1 Factors relating to infrastructure, equipment, finance and human resources • The introduction and extension of irrigated agriculture with a view to developing the Senegal river valley; Infrastructure • The development of a region affected by drought and its socio- Existing infrastructure is inadequate, inappropriate and in all cases economic consequences. unreliable when it comes to sustaining farming developments capable of expanding a new type of agriculture to achieve any one of the above The study does not attempt to verify whether all or some of these objectives mentioned objectives. The area to be developed (clearance, levelling, have been achieved. What we have done is to obtain from Soninke people drainage, irrigation basins, channels, dams and dykes, field lay out, etc) participating in such schemes (Guidimankan and mainly in Gadiaga) some rarely exceeds half or one third of the available land: guaranteeing water views on the advantages based on difficulties they have encountered and the flow is a problem from the start. new problems to be dealt with. The cost of such developments, estimated to be 2 million FCFA per hectare, The study thus operates at two levels: a description of past experience and far exceeds the financial capacity of farmers unless assistance can be dynamic research with a view to improving and ensuring the future success obtained from the Malian government, bilateral or multilateral cooperation of irrigation schemes. or NGO partners. In most cases, plans for development of the Senegal river basin are presented with no timetable for carrying out the work or indication of the funding available. 4 5 In addition, any observer can easily see that there is no adequate road Diboly: once a week for express trains in both directions between Bamako infrastructure, proper health centres or village markets in the areas where and Dakar and the passenger train plying between Dakar and Kayes. these schemes are located. Genuine development in such areas is therefore not a very viable proposition. Present participants also point to the absence Finance and human resources of warehouses to store produce and small plants to process vegetables or hull rice, which loses much of its commercial value if marketed as paddy. Investment in irrigation schemes requires considerable personal effort by participants, in many aspects in the absence of revolving funds. The coexistence of agriculture and livestock husbandry around villages raises the issue of protecting cultivated areas with solid, durable fencing. Such In view of the scale of problems encountered schemes have little chance of investment is always beyond the reach of farmers. Solutions advocated by achieving self financing status. Participants often mentioned the low level national as well as foreign technicians are either inappropriate or unrealistic of income per farmer. We shall come back to this point. The need for in the absence of any partner prepared to provide funding. Some of them adequate and appropriate funding is felt at all stages. An agricultural suggest environmental protection as if there were no cost attached. enterprise, such as an irrigation scheme, cannot depend exclusively on the good will of participants, personal effort and voluntary provision of the Equipment various services required. The oldest form of tool is still the daba (mattock),