Water Supply
Pinpointing untapped irrigation potential
A baseline for revitalization of smallholder schemes in South Africa
A
mbitious efforts are underway in Africa to
promote the spread of smallholder irrigation.
This work is critical for achieving sustainable
intensification of agriculture and for enhancing its
resilience in the face of more frequent and severe
droughts.
Legend
Agricultural areas
Winter irrigation 2016
Provincial boundary
District boundary
Former Homelands
Towns
0
40
80
110 km
Figure 3. Irrigated areas in winter 2015
Irrigation and agricultural development in rural areas of Limpopo
Province, South Africa. Photo: Graeme Williams / IWMI
As part of its concerted support for such efforts, the
International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has
published a new study – titled Smallholder irrigation
schemes in the Limpopo Province, South Africa (Working
Paper 174) – which sheds light on the underutilization
of these schemes in former “homeland” areas of a key
agricultural province. Working in collaboration with
the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
(DAFF) and the Limpopo Department of Agriculture
and Rural Development (LDARD), a team of researchers
lead by IWMI principal researcher Barbara van Koppen
conducted a survey of 76 public smallholder irrigation
schemes. Their purpose was to establish a baseline
understanding of key features of these schemes, including
smallholders’ perceptions about their limitations.
Study results show that, in the dry winter season of 2015,
only 28 schemes were being fully utilized. Another 28 were
not being used at all, while the rest (22) were only partially
in use. Though not surprising (since underutilization of
large irrigation schemes is also widespread), these findings
do provide cause for concern, suggesting significant
untapped potential.
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • July - August 2017
To identify the main reasons for underutilization,
researchers considered farm size, age and gender of
registered member, market orientation, and other
characteristics of the schemes. Contrary to common views
in South Africa’s policy discourse, the results showed no
link between utilization of the schemes and their overall
size or the numbers and plot sizes of member farmers.
The study debunked other widely held notions as well.
One is the perception that irrigated crop production
is largely for subsistence, when in fact it has a strong
commercial orientation. Another is that high proportions
of women smallholders limit utilization of these schemes.
Across all schemes, 46 percent of registered members, on
average, were women, and the proportion actually farming
the land was even higher.
The one overarching limitation of these schemes
turned out be the poor condition of irrigation and
related infrastructure, which in half the schemes was
compounded by unrepaired flood damage. Reflecting a
“build-neglect-rebuild syndrome,” the findings underline
the need for improved institutional support, aimed at
fostering more participatory approaches to plan such
schemes and choose appropriate technology. Stronger
links with markets could also go a long way toward
increasing the use of smallholder irrigation schemes.
Forming part of IWMI’s contribution to the CGIAR