Farmers, agencies and irrigation systems: A comparison of two village schemes in the Bakel Department in Senegal

Abstract

The irrigation schemes of the villages Gandé and Galladé in the Bakel Department in Senegal are managed by a farmer association and an agency. The agency had to install, repair and maintain motorpumps, assist in the lay-out of canals, structures and parcels, and to provide fuel and other inputs on credit. Associations had to manage the irrigation systems and repay the agency in time and in proportion to amounts of inputs received.

The Gandé association and the agency came frequently into conflict, because the level of agency support was low, and the association did not repay in time. The Galladé association and the agency did not come into conflict, because the level of agency support was satisfactory, and the association repaid in time. Repayment depended on profitability of irrigation, which was lower in Gandé than in Galladé, because consumption of water and fuel were in Gandé two times higher than in Galladé. This was not so much caused by differences in water management, but because of differences in physical and technical characteristics of the irrigation systems.