Farming Systems Report GBE>;:LBGBGBMB:MBO> BgbmbZmbo^]n;Zllbg]nGbe Information Products for Nile Basin Water Resources Management Farming Systems Report Synthesis of the Country Reports at the level of the Nile Basin FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2011 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO. All rights reserved. FAO encourages the reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Non- commercial uses will be authorized free of charge, upon request. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials, and all queries concerning rights and licences, should be addressed by e-mail to [email protected] or to the Chief, Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy. © FAO 2011 Contents Background vi Acknowledgements vii List of acronyms viii List of tables ix List of figures xi Summary xii 1. Introduction 1 2. National Level Analysis of Agricultural Yields 4 3. Major Farming Systems of the Nile Basin 10 Irrigated (large-scale, traditional) 12 General Description 12 Agricultural Productivity 12 Water Management 16 Issues 19 Opportunities 23 Irrigated (small-scale, traditional) 25 General Description 25 Agricultural Productivity 25 Water Management 34 Issues 34 Opportunities 34 Irrigated (commercial) 36 General Description 36 Agricultural Productivity 36 Water Management 39 Farming Systems Report i Issues 39 Opportunities 39 Pastoral 40 General Description 40 Agricultural Productivity 40 Water Management 45 Issues 45 Opportunities 48 Agropastoral 51 General Description 51 Agricultural Productivity 51 Water Management 52 Issues 53 Opportunities 54 Dryland Farming 54 General Description 54 Agricultural Productivity 54 Water Management 59 Issues 60 Opportunities 60 Highland Tropical (perennial) 63 General Description 63 Agricultural Productivity 63 Water Management 66 Issues 66 Opportunities 67 Highland Temperate 68 General Description 68 Agricultural Productivity (including livestock issues) 68 Water Management 71 Issues 71 Opportunities 73 Highland Cold (barley, sheep) 74 General Description 74 Agricultural Productivity (including livestock issues) 74 Water Management 76 ii Farming Systems Report Issues 76 Opportunities 76 Lowland Tropical 77 General Description 77 Agricultural Productivity 77 Water Management 80 Issues 81 Opportunities 82 Forest-based 82 General Description 82 Agricultural Productivity 83 Water Management 86 Issues 86 Opportunities 87 Woodland 88 General Description 88 Agricultural Productivity 88 (including livestock issues) 88 Water Management 91 Issues 91 Opportunities 91 Riverside and Lakeside 92 General Description 92 Agricultural Productivity (including livestock issues) 92 Water Management 98 Issues 98 Opportunities 98 Market-Oriented Agriculture (including urban, peri-urban and commercial) 99 General Description 99 Agricultural Productivity (including livestock issues) 99 Water Management 100 Issues 100 Opportunities 101 Farming Systems Report iii 4. Principal Constraints to Agricultural Productivity Enhancement 102 Land tenure 102 Insecurity and Social Rigidity 102 Extension and Veterinary Services 103 Land Degradation 104 Limitations in Availability of Inputs 106 Organic Matter 106 Farmyard Manure 107 Fertilizers 107 Improved Seed 108 Mechanization 109 Pest and Disease Control (adapted from FAO, 2001a) 111 Rangeland Burning 112 Anticipated Impacts of Increased Variability and Climate Change 113 Eritrea 114 Uganda 115 Kenya 115 5. The Water Constraint: Linkage between Water Productivity and Agricultural Productivity 114 Irrigated Agriculture 114 Irrigated (large-scale, traditional) 114 Irrigated (small-scale, traditional) 115 Irrigated (commercial) 117 Rainfed Agriculture 118 Pastoral 118 Agropastoral - (dry and hot (millet)) 119 Dryland farming 120 Highland – (tropical) 122 Highland - (temperate (wheat)) 122 Highland - (cold (barley, sheep)) 123 Lowlands - (tropical) 124 Forest-based 125 iv Farming Systems Report Woodland 126 Riverside 126 Market-oriented agriculture (urban, peri-urban and commercial) 127 Livestock Systems 128 Feed Sourcing. 129 Enhancing Animal Production 129 Conserving Water Resources 129 6. Discussion 131 Opportunities/Scope for Improvement in Agricultural Productivity through Water Management 132 Increased Irrigation Efficiency 132 Hydrological Consequences of Improved Agricultural Productivity for the Water Balance of Nile Basin 134 7. Key Findings 136 Bibliography 141 Annex 1 144 Annex 2: Area and weight conversions 171 Annex 3: Further details of agricultural production in the highland tropical farming system 172 Annex 4: Further details of agricultural production in the commercial farming system 180 Annex 5: Major crops performance in traditional agriculture (1999-2003), Sudan 185 Annex 6: Comparison of crop yields and costs under existing and improved management in the farming systems of Ethiopia 189 Annex 7: The Kenana Sugar Company, Sudan 191 Farming Systems Report v Background FAO project GCP/INT/945/ITA aims to develop information products for decisions on water policy and water resources management in the Nile Basin. One important element of the project is a basin-wide analysis of agricultural water productivity. vi Farming Systems Report Acknowledgements This report was compiled by FAO consultant Anne Woodfine together with inputs from FAO staff, Jacob Burke, Jean-Marc Faurès, Jippe Hoogeveen and Dorit Gross. Overall design of the reports and information products was managed by Nicoletta Forlano, James Morgan and Gabriele Zanolli. Farming Systems Report vii List of acronyms AIPs Alien Invasive Plants asl Above Sea Level AU Animal Unit (1 000 lb/454 kg) BMU Beach Management Unit C Centigrade CA Conservation Agriculture DAP Diammonium phosphate FAO Food and Agriculture Organization fed Feddan (see Annex 2) ha Hectare hh Household K Kantar (see Annex 2) kg Kilogram km Kilometre l Litre lb Pound m Metre mm Millimetre MoA Ministry of Agriculture N Nitrogen NBI Nile Basin Initiative NWFP Non-Wood Forest Product PET Potential Evapotranspiration Q Quintal SGB The Sudan Gezira Board SLM Sustainable Land Management SWC Soil and Water Conservation SPFS Special Programme for Food Security t Tonnes (see Annex 2) TLU Tropical Livestock Unit UPA Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture USD United States Dollars yr Year viii Farming Systems Report List of tables Table 1: Basin-Wide Distribution of Farming System Areas 2 Table 2: National-Level Statistics of the Nile Basin Countries 5 Table 3: Yield Gaps for Major Nile Basin Crops (a) [calculated using the average yield per ha for each country (1998–2007) from FAOSTAT. The figures are percentages achieved by each country of the basin, compared with the highest yield, (highlighted)] 6 Table 4: Yield Gaps for Major Nile Basin Crops (b) [calculated using the average yield per ha for each country (1998–2007) from FAOSTAT. The figures are percentages achieved by each country of the basin, compared with the highest yield excluding Egypt, (highlighted)] 8 Table 5: Area of the Farming Systems in the Nile Basin Countries 13 Table 6: General Statistics by Farming System within the Nile Basin 14 Table 7: Irrigation Systems, the Sudan 15 Table 8: Areas of Irrigated Crops, the Sudan 15 Table 9: Field Water Requirements (m3/ha/month) Gezira, the Sudan 17 Table 10: Peak Daily Water Requirements (m3/ha/day), Gezira, the Sudan 17 Table 11: Actual and Recommended Number of Irrigations by Crop, Gezira, the Sudan 18 Table 12: Yield Effects on Crops due to Distance from Water Source, the Sudan 18 Table 13: Actual Crop Yields (1997–2007) in the Gezira Scheme, the Sudan 20 Table 14: Average Yields for Irrigated Crops, the Sudan 20 Table 15: Farmers’ Problems - Type and Frequency, Gezira, the Sudan 21 Table 16: Potential and Actual Crop Yields in the Rahad Scheme, the Sudan 21 Table 17: Comparison of Crop Yields and Costs under Existing and Improved Management in the Traditional Irrigated Farming Systems, Ethiopia) 26 Table 18: Cropped Areas (ha), Production (t) and Yields (t/ha) of Major Crops in Different Farming Systems (2005), Egypt 29 Table 19: Existing agricultural areas under irrigation or water control in the Nile Basin of Eritrea 31 Table 20: Proportion of parcels under irrigation in Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya 32 Table 21: Importance of Water on Crop Yields (2000-2003), Rwanda 33 Table 22: Predicted Area (ha), yield (t) and Production (t/ha) of Selected Crops (2007-2012) and (2012-2017), Egypt 35 Table 23: Average Current, Highest Attained and Potential Productions for Key Irrigated Crops, Kenya 39 Table 24: Livestock Ownership in the Pastoral/Agropastoral Systems, Ethiopia 42