The 29th Resilience Seminar
Abstract: In sub-Saharan Africa, farming system is largely a small-scale rain-fed agriculture. This is in sharp contrast to the well irrigated systems in which large-scale commercial plantations, especially those in southern Africa, are using. The productions of subsistence crops of small scale farmers are diverse. Maize, wheat, millet, sorghum and other grains are main staple food in the sub-Saharan. In Uganda and the surrounding countries, non-sweet banana is their staple food. Rice including the upland rice is increasing in its importance in many African countries. It is argued that a well manage irrigation system is a key to improve livelihood and food security of the small scale farmers. Existing community irrigation systems such as well and pond in many African countries tend to be small in capacity and not as efficiently managed as of those water users' associations in the monsoon Asia. The Japanese technical cooperation has targeted irrigation system that will allow the farmers to cultivate horticulture in the dry season to supply to the market for additional income. Although it is important to have stable yield of cereal and staple crops, their prices under government-operated market are generally too low to be profitable to increase production of cereal crops. In order for technical assistance to be effective, it is important to consider technology, tools or means that are appropriate within the context of ecological and market environment semi-arid of sub-Saharan Africa, which may probably be different from successful technical development experiences of monsoon Asia. Contact: Takashi KUME (Ph.D)
Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) zip code: 603-8047 457-4, Motoyama Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Japan tel: +81-75-707-2209 fax: +81-75-707-2506
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