Synthetic report

This sh1dy has been carried out in two irrigation schemes of the Northern Province (Dingleydale and New Forest) of South Africa. The studied area takes place in former homelands areas (Lebowa, Gaz.an1.1.1lu). This region is submitted to a sub-tropical climate. The infrastmctures were built during the apartheid era, in order to provide employment and food to the local black population. Currently, tl1e farmers crop from 1 to l 0 hectares, producing maize in tl1e summer and vegetables, mainly in winter. Following tlie National Water Act of 1998 and its new institutional frame, tlie Soutll-African government tends currently to withdraw from its ownership and commitments in small-scale irrigation schemes. Ownership, management and maintenance of infrastruchrres are to be transferred to farmers (Irrigation Management Transfer process). In tl1e Northern Province, this process has started in several pilot schemes. It includes the rehabilitation of infrastructures before transfer and the establislm1ent of farmers' Water User's Association, which are to take over ownership and collective management of the scheme. This sh1dy has been carried out in collaboration witll tl1e consultant team in charge of tile ITM project. The report first considers the evolution of tl1e agrarian system during tl1e 20tll century. It shows declining soil fertility , due to tl1e increasing disconnection between agriculture and cattle rearing, and to tile remoteness of the cultivated plots. Then, tile diversity of the fam1ers' situations has been highlighted tlrrough the use of typological techniques. Nine household types have been identified within the schemes, and tllorough economic analysis has been carried out. Particularly, some vulnerable types of farmers have been identified, whose plight might worsen after tl1e transfer. On the oilier hand, efficient and dynamic farms have also been detected. They might become bigger and more integrated wifuin commercial circuits. The management of water distribution has also been studied. It reveals a lack of botll discipline and organisation. This might slow down the project's development, and, ultimately, jeopardize tile scheme's sustainable management. Finally, tile study of neighbouring communities has highlighted the gap between this social and economic environment and the scheme itself. The latter have long received subsidies and guidance, while communities have been left without any kind of support whatsoever, and display poverty and unemployment features . This study has been carried out between March and August 2000. The full original report has been written in French. It is available on request, from Dr. Perret: sperrcl 1"/;nsnpcr I. up.acJ.a Tel. 012 420 5120. Original report: Merle, S & Oudot, S. (2000) Strategies, systemes techniques et situations economiques d 'exploitations agricoles Jamili ales dans un perimetre irrigue d 'Afrique du Sud Diagnostic et perspectives dans un contexte de rehabilitation et de transfer! de gestion. Memoire de fin d'etudes INA-PG, rapport PCSI, October 2000, 120p & annexes. Disclaimer: This synthetic report must be seen as a work document, which statements and conclusions remain discussable. Should the following text raise any comments, or generate misunderstandings, tile reader is most welcome to express constructive comments and reactions. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Acknowledgements, from S. Merle & S. Oudot We would like to thank the PCSI team (Programme Commun Systemes lrrigues CJRAD-Cemagrej) : Dr. Thierry Rieu, head of the Irrigation Research Unit at Cemagref, Dr. Patrice Garin, researcher in this unit, Dr. Sylvain Perret, researcher at CIRAD in South Africa (University of Pretoria), Dr. Pierre-Yves Le-Gal and Dr. Marcel Kuper, researchers at CIRAD in Montpellier (France), for their serious supervision and the advice given during this intemship period. 3 We also thank Prof. Marcel Mazoyer for the suggestions he made and for his relevant remarks, which come from his global vision and huge knowledge of the world's agrarian systems. We also would like to give our warmest thanks to our South-African partners. They gave us very useful pieces of advice and their professional vision helped us a lot: M. Shaker, Director at the Department of Agriculture (Directorate Agriculture and Rural Engineering) in the Northern Province, whose vision and support form the background of this study, The LVA team (Loxton, Venn & Associates), particularly Dr. John Rutherfoord, Clive Mitchell, Johann Adendorff, and Luke Mdluli, who accomplished a wonderful job, as translator as well as facilitator, The two teams of dynamic extension officers, who organised a lot of meetings for us, and who always kept smiling. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 4