The Nation planned to irrigate 4.1 million hectares of land.
Ethiopia’s economy is largely based on agriculture. Of course, for several years, agriculture has been getting special attention from the government; as a result, the sector has shown a tremendous increase. Moreover, the nation is on the verge of achieving food security. But, so far, it has not come out of rain-fed agriculture.
In fact,on several occasions, the government has been exerting efforts in reducing farmers’ dependence on rains by introducing various small-scale irrigation schemes. During the first Growth and Transformation Plan ( GTP-I ), farmers had irrigated 1.8 million hectares of land. They also had cultivated the land twice or more in a year.
Likewise, in the second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP -II), the nation planned to irrigate 4.1 million hectares of land. In the first year of this Plan, the farmlands that have been under irrigation estimated to be over 2.6 million hectares. By the same token, 3.1 million of land will be cultivated at the end of 2017 by farmers engaged in small-scale irrigation.
Very recently, the Ministry of Farming and Natural Resource has organized consultative meeting on resource mobilization for sustainable irrigation system in the premises of Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR). During a day-long meeting, the participants held extensive discussion on 2015/16 performance review of small-scale irrigation schemes in all over the country.
At the event, they also underlined that small-scale irrigation schemes have played a big role in reducing El-Nino induced drought effects. This is because the nation has managed to increase agricultural productivity using various micro-irrigation technologies particularly during the dry season (Bega) .
Hence, all of the participants agreed that the agricultural activities, that had shown a decrease in production in last rainy season due to El Nino induced drought, have been made to increase through small-scale irrigation activities in the dry season.
Speaking at consultative meeting the Ministry of Farming and Natural Resource State Minister Frenesh Mekuria said that the nation’s overall small scale irrigation activities in last dry season (bega) were encouraging. Moreover, she said that despite El-Nino impacts, the nation managed to meet set goals irrigating over 2.6 million hectares last fiscal year alone.
According to Frenesh, every farmer needs to have at least an alternative water resource in a bid to cultivate twice or more annually and ensure food security in the near future as well.
Presenting last year’s performance review, Small -Scale Irrigation Development Director for the Ministry Elias Awol said that the unsatisfactory utilization of fertilizer on irrigated plots, lack of spareparts for water pumps, failure to create market access for farmers engaged in small-scale irrigation and others were the major challenges in the agricultural activities.
He also noted that compared to other states of the country, Afar , Gambela and Somalia States need to intensify efforts to effectively utilize the groundwater resources applying various irrigation techniques.
As to the market access for farmers engaged in small-scale irrigation activities,he said that they do not often get fair price for their agricultural products as they do not have modern direct market access. Therefore, he said that the farmers must sell the agricultural products to the cooperative unions and use improved seeds to boost the agricultural productivity.
At the end of the meeting, Farming and Natural Resource State Minister Wondirad Mandefro told participants that everyone engaging in small-scale irrigation activities needs to work based on the set goals with a view to narrowing down the gaps in such agricultural activities and to realizing food security in the near future.
Moreover, the State Minister noted that apart from working in unison at all levels, the use of new irrigation technologies is a must to gain the desired results from irrigated plots as a whole