Dr Bart Mupeta - Plan Zimbabwe Martin Keijzer - Plan Netherlands Amy Dietterich - Plan UK

1. Scaling up multiple use of water Experiences and future direction in PlanMUS group meeting : London5-6 November 2007 Dr Bart Mupeta - Plan ZimbabweMartin Keijzer - Plan Netherlands AmyDietterich - Plan UK

2. Presentation outline • Introduction: Background to multiple use of water in Plan Zimbabwe • Musha integrated farming (MIFS) and MUS • Experiences in micro drip irrigation • Future direction

3. Background to Multiple Use of water in Plan livelihoods program • Zimbabwe experienced 6 consecutive years of drought. • Availability of water resources is a major factor limiting crop and livestock production. • Plan facilitated water harvesting and utilisation technologies for multiple-use systems that integrate domestic and agriculture production. • Households with deep wells have been facilitated and encouraged to increase the utilisation of surplus water for agricultural purposes.

4. Background to Multiple use of water in Plan livelihoods program (cont.) • Beneficiaries were facilitated to harvest and store water in the form of : • weirs and earth dams, • harvesting water from underground, • roofs of houses and/or rocky areas with good catchments. • Use of stored water : • home consumption • irrigating household vegetable gardens, • watering livestock, such as cattle, donkeys, goats and poultry. • Efficiency and economic water use technologies e.g. drip kits were promoted

5. MIFS considers most resources limiting Sustainable production is achieved Integrating and optimum use of available resources at a household based on the pillars: human development (knowledge & skills) integrated diversified production market development and financial services partnerships (development & management) MUS of water, key component of MIFS: micro irrigation - drip kits small livestock (goats & poultry) Multiple use of water in Musha integrated farm system (MIFS)

6. Drip kit micro-irrigation, a case for Plan Zimbabwe • Until 2001 drip irrigation in Zimbabwe was a preserve for large commercial farming sector • In 2002, Plan and IDE introduced drip kits to 20 smallholder farmers to asses its acceptability. • After one year of implementation, the technology was scaled up : 1,500 drip kits were distributed to families and schools

7. Drip kit micro-irrigation, a case for Plan Zimbabwe (cont.) • Objective was to create opportunities among disadvantaged and vulnerable households • This involved building capacity and empowering community and households with knowledge and skills • The implementation strategy hinged on broad based multi stakeholder participation.

8. Valve Drip kit unit Filter Water tank Lateral line Main line Distribution line Vegetable rows • Drip kit unit is a cost effective technology: gravity-fed low-pressure drip irrigation. • It is possible to inject fertilizer into the water supply – top dressing • Liable to blockage of emitters by dirty or contaminated water.

9. Implementation process • Community involvement • Selection of beneficiaries to ensure ownership, based on criteria : • Needs based criteria : • food insecure HH • HIV/AIDS affected HH • Ability-based criteria : • access to a reasonable quality water source • adequate garden space minimum 100 sq m • gardening experience with strength to fill the kit water tank. • motivation to use the drip kit. • willingness to sign agreement on the allocation of the drip kit • In the case of schools: • benefit for children through curriculum development and profit generated • children not used as merely cheap labour

10. Implementation process (cont.) • Beneficiary involvement • The selected beneficiaries formed groups with individual HH managing own production plots. • A beneficiary group: ca. 10 members with a Contact Farmer. • The Contact Farmer is both a beneficiary as well as part of the program implementation team. He has shown the capacity: • community opinion leader and innovator • to understand the drip irrigation kit • to demonstrate it • The group holds regular meetings to share knowledge and experiences. • During these meetings EW and DIKC conduct training. Income from surplus vegetable

11. Productivity from 100 m2 drip kit plot per year

12. Record keeping – A sample • Household keeps simple records • Records facilitate • HH to improve farming practices • to demonstrate kit as productive economic asset (scaling up !) • monitoring of impact of the drip kit program Column 1: Date Column 2: Vegetable type Column 3: Vegetable sold Column 4: Income realized Column 5: Quantity consumed Column 6: Value of vegetable consumed

13. Interview with drip kit farmer: • Farmer appeared committed and showed interest in the drip kit • Reliable water - shallow well and perennial river. • Purchased a treadle pump - conveyance challenge addressed. • Farmer replaced the 180 litre tank with a 1000 litre tank. • Farmer grows vegetables all year round. • Crops in the garden included tomato cabbage, melons, egg plant • Increased interaction and sharing knowledge with other farmers (Contact farm). • Raised income for Secondary school fees & purchase inputs for dryland farming. • Practise organic farming (manure –cattle & poultry, compost, companion crops, mexican merigold, khakibush- nematodes & red spider - reducing input costs

14. Benefits from drip kit irrigation • High yields and improvement of quality • Year-round production and vegetable home consumption • Additional income for household needs and school fees • Efficient water use: saves up to 60% • Water fertilization (manure tea) • Labour saving up to 33% of time

15. Lessons learnt • Requires effective and regular technical support during all stages (from introduction to after project) • Knowledge, participation and decision making – empowerment of farmers influence positively sustainable production through self reliant attitude. • Vision of group and its members influence group dynamics (structure & productivity) • Appreciation of indigenous knowledge and their own problem solving methods stimulates farmers: • organic farming and integrated use of resources- use of manure, compost and pest management • blocked emitters – use bicycle pumps, flush detergent e.g. jik.

16. Challenges • Reliable water sources, 55% of shallow wells dry 2 months before onset of rains - need for elaborate water harvesting • Size of kit 100 – 250m2 limit expanded production • Development of market chain & market driven production with F&N consideration • Post harvest preservation and processing technology addressing glut periods • Capacity build local entrepreneurs to produce and supply spare parts & drip kits • Up scaling in Zimbabwe (efficiency and economy) and other Plan countries on multiple use and multiple source.

17. Thank You!