Installation of an irrigation system to supply 4 neighboring farmers.

The identified problem and background:

Rainfall throughout Mozambique is not consistent enough to support continuous production in agricultural systems. This result in shortages and surpluses and an irregular supply of food. Without proper marketing- and storage facilities it become impossible to secure constant food supply and it become necessary to support many rural people on a regular basis. Without constant product delivery it is also not possible to establish good marketing facilities. Nobody buy when there is an over-production and there is no need for a market when there is no production. For the smaller farmer it is not possible to streamline his production without a constant source of water.

Farmers need to plant the biggest part of their crop during October or November, but rain normally only comes in December or January. An average semi-commercial farmer has got 4 hectare of land where he could plant. If he continuously plant 0.5 hectare at the beginning of each month and then irrigate only when there is no rain, he will have a constant production of food to supply his family and to establish a market for his product.

If we can supply only 3000 liter of water per day to each farmer, he would be able to give ½ a liter of water to 6000 plants everyday. Plants do not need that much water per day, which means that he can water 12000 plants every second day. The present planting density for corn in the rural areas is only 6000 plants per hectare. We would like to change that to at least 24000 plants per hectare and divide them into 6000 watering points. (Four plants are planted together.) When 4 taps are installed in each 2 hectare planting area, a family with 3 members will be able to water 0.5 hectare in a 5 hour period if they use draglines to water their plants. These figures are only to try and illustrate how much further you can go with even as little as 3000 liter of water for irrigation every day. This water only needs to assist the crop when rain is not adequate during certain periods. 

Description of the Water system:

Each water system will supply water to 4 semi-commercial farmers with 4 hectares of land each.

The system consists of one borehole, a solar pump with panels, water pipes to each farm, 1 x 5000 liter water tank for each farmer, 8 taps for each farmer and 8 x 50 meter dragline water pipes. (We have worked with many different irrigation systems in the past, but found this system to be the only one that is sustainable and does not need too much expertise to operate under the specific circumstances).   If you should be interested, please send us an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will send you all the quotes from  the specific suppliers and also the cost from Agriservi to install the system, give the training and do the follow-up for 3 to 6 months. Billboards, that you provide, will be erected if you wish to do so. The estimated cost of one water system that deliver, more or less, 14000 liter of water per day is R120 000 or USD 9600 , excluding the work of Agriservi . The farmers will also be interested in a soft loan.

Location:

Mozambique, Inhambane Province, Unguana, Pambara and Mabote areas.

Sector:

Semi – commercial farming 

Duration:

2 weeks for installation after borehole is finish and continuous training for a period of 1 year.

Dollar value:

USD 8 000 to 10000 per system (Depending on the depth of the borehole and the amount of systems that can be done in the same period of time.)

A total of 15 water systems are needed.   Borehole depth varies between 60 meter and 120 meter.

Project Goal:

To make irrigation water available to 60 semi-commercial farmers. 

Objectives:

To strengthen the concept of successful semi-commercial farming.

Outcomes

  • Empower subsistence farmers to become semi-commercial farmers.
  • Enhanced productivity and income
  • Increased potential to bring livelihood into the farming sector and to reduce the total risk of the farming

   Enterprise.      

  • Triggering of agricultural transformation.