Promoting small scale irrigated agricultural production and water resource management in Northern Uganda

Northern Uganda is facing two contemporary challenges: a growing population and climate change. These on-going trends have a direct impact on food production with a growing need for irrigated crop production, creating an increasing pressure on water resources for agricultural purposes. While irrigated agriculture is still underdeveloped, it can serve to produce crops during the dry season (January to March) and thus generate additional income for small scale farmers. At the same time, integrated water resources management is necessary to ensure the sustainability of water supply in the face of declining overall availability.  

It is in this context, that AFC-GOPA is supporting small scale irrigated agriculture as well as water resource management within the GIZ program Promoting Rural Development in Northern Uganda (PRUDEV). 

We support approximately 1.020 small-scale farmers, organized into 53 groups, in the field of irrigated agriculture as well as 9 district governments and a relevant number of local communities in improved water resource management. The capacity development of farmers is implemented via 26 community-based trainers, who are trained and coached by AFC local staff and external experts. AFC support focuses on organizational development, irrigation technologies, good agricultural practices, market development and the set up and strengthening of inclusive business models. The irrigated production puts a special focus on horticulture during the dry season (cabbage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, eggplant and watermelon), when market prices and marketing opportunities are high. Our activities also support the dissemination of adapted technologies for small-scale irrigation to increase water efficiency and labor saving (e.g. solar water pumps; drip, sprinkler and furrow irrigation; water harvesting). 

To improve the sustainability of water supply, we advise the local district governments on the integration of water resource management into the district planning. In coordination with the districts and lower local governments, we support communities in the elaboration and implementation of community action plans and wetland management plans for improved water resource management. While this work includes a significant part of technical advice, we focus our intervention on the facilitation of consensus building, allowing community members to tackle problems under a shared vision. 

During its first year of operation, the project achieved a significant improvement in the application of good agricultural practices in vegetable production as well as group dynamics and leadership. The current second dry season focuses on addressing the farmer groups additional challenges by improving the irrigation technologies, quality of inputs (seeds, fertilizers) and marketing. Sharing and transferring experiences between groups and towards other stakeholders will be done as well. Financial management is an upcoming activity, planned to enhance a business-oriented vegetable production for the third, and last, dry season supported by the project. Activities run until September 2023.