Fmdr-Zambia May/June 2016 Farmers Review Africa Jan/Feb 2017 | Page 10

African climate goes haywire while Trump gags climate researchers
News

Zimbabwe ’ s smallholder irrigation receives international funding

Zimbabwe ' s smallholder irrigation sector has received a US $ 25.5mn grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development ( IFAD ). According to Patrick Chinamasa , Minister of Finance and Economic Development , the grant signed in Rome on 18 November , 2016 will support the Zimbabwe Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation programme ( SIRP ). It is also reported that IFAD approved the grant in September 2016 . �e SIRP is targeting 4,000 ha of smallholder irrigation schemes in communal and old resettlement areas in the country ' s four provinces namely Manicaland , Matebeleland South , Masvingo and Midlands . Chinamasa said that the objective of the programme is to sustainably

Agriculture

increase diversi ed production , productivity , income and improve resilience of households in the selected mostly dry and arid regions of the country . �e programme also seeks to provide support to improve market access and capacity building measures to boost food security , enhance management capacities within government and farmers institutions and to ensure the sustainability of the investment . the case . In 2014 , the long rains barely came at all in Kenya , triggering a huge drought , incomes and livelihoods took a massive hit with widespread crop failures and livestock deaths . Again in 2015 the long rains were poor and , surprise surprise , in 2016 too . And , it doesn ' t seem to be getting better any time soon , the United Nations is warning that Kenyans should brace themselves : “ �ere is serious drought looming in 2017 ” ( Reuters ). In summary , those previously reliable rainfall patterns are seriously messed up . �ere is generally less rain , and when it does come , it ' s erratic ( IPCC , 2014 ). Smallholder farmers especially are at the mercy of the climate ; crops , incomes and livelihoods are all on the line – and they can do little more than try again and pray . In our small way , we hope that our solar irrigation pump will help farmers adapt to the erratic climate patterns , since the rains can no longer be relied upon . At least if there is a nearby water source farmers can guarantee a harvest in the dry season . And unlike increasingly common petrol pumps , our solar pumps won ' t contribute to the rapidly rising carbon emissions which are the cause of this instability . But for oods , all we can do is offer our sympathy and some sand bags to these inundated farmers . As for the new US administration , comfortable in their climate controlled buildings , blissfully ignorant to the daily battles of smallholder farmers , history will not look kindly upon them . It is each of our jobs to ensure that science , and climate friendly innovations prevail .

African climate goes haywire while Trump gags climate researchers

Dam Linings and Tarps
Earth dam linings Reservoir linings
Mid-dry season – Western Kenya
A couple of days ago , something strange and awful happened in one of the farming communities we work with in Western Kenya : a ash ood . �e strange thing about this ? It ' s meant to be the dry season . Two huge rainstorms hit Kisumu county and a river burst its banks . �e carefully planted and irrigated crops were obliterated in an instant , now they sit waterlogged and rotting . �is season there will be no harvest for the farmers . Meanwhile , far away on the other side of the world , one of the rst actions by the new US President was to remove all references to climate change from the White House website , ll his cabinet with oil barons , and to instigate an apparent clampdown on climate scientists speaking to the media . To anyone paying the slightest bit of attention , it ' s clear to see the climate is changing . �irty years ago , the rainy and dry seasons in Kenya were as reliable as clockwork . For generations , smallholder farmers planted seeds in anticipation of the rains , growing two crop cycles each year to exploit the rainy periods . However , in the ve years I ' ve been involved in smallholder irrigation , every single African farmer I ' ve spoken with has told me this is no longer
Trailer Tarpaulins
Welded mesh reservoirs Truck tarpaulins
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January - February 2017
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