AfDB notes importance of irrigation in doubling yields

AfDB notes importance of irrigation in doubling yields
By Moses Kuwema
Tue 12 Oct. 2010, 14:00 CAT

IRRIGATION in the agriculture sector is key to doubling yields if it is put in the hands of smallholder producers, African Development Bank (AfDB) resident representative Freddie Kwesiga has observed.

In a statement, Dr Kwesiga stated that raising productivity required that government continues to invest in improved water storage and irrigation as a means of adaptation to climate change.

“Improved crop storage at household, community, regional, national and border points, is perhaps the most important investment that government and the private sector have to undertake in order to safely store the current bumper harvest and the predicted future bumper harvest when Zambia will be able to reach 10 million tonnes to cater to human, livestock feed and value addition,” Dr Kwesiga stated.

He stated that properly targeted economic policies for smallholder farming could raise yields, adding that West Africa had witnessed increases in farm yields and incomes from cereals and root crops.

Dr Kwesiga stated that high dependence on farming on highly unreliable rainfall was risky.

“Zambia irrigates less than five per cent of irrigable land of 1.4million hectares, yet it holds over 40 per cent of water resources in the southern African region. This is an area of growth and competitiveness,” he stated.

He stated that Zambia could easily achieve more than 10 million tonnes per year of maize just by raising its average productivity to about five tonnes per hectare.

Dr Kwesiga also observed the need for Zambia to invest in exploitation of local phosphates and lime deposits for fertiliser and allow for specific blends.

He also emphasized the need for more investments to expand hydro power, solar, bio-fuel, wind and other energy sources, which he noted were very critical especially in the rural areas and neighbouring states.

Dr Kwesiga stated that the Bank’s agriculture sector strategy focuses on building agriculture infrastructure and supporting renewable natural resources management.

He stated that the Bank’s agriculture infrastructure interventions focus on building and rehabilitating rural and community feeder roads that lead to local markets, and on main trunk roads that provide access to national markets.

Dr Kwesiga stated that under the renewable natural resources component, the Bank supports sustainable and resilient agriculture infrastructure in view of climate change, continued scientific research and capacity building.