Irrigation, Rural Livelihoods and Agricultural Development Project

closed

The Irrigation, Rural Livelihoods, and Agricultural Development Project seeks to raise agricultural productivity, and net incomes of poor rural households in target districts of Malawi, in a sustainable manner, by providing an integrated package of support covering irrigation, agricultural/ irrigation advisory services, marketing and post-harvest support, and, strengthen recipient institutional capacity for long-term irrigation development. The project components include the following: 1)- Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development - involves support for rehabilitation and gradual management transfer of four government owned small schemes, development of new small-scale gravity schemes, and mini-scale schemes; rehabilitation of eleven small reservoirs, and, civil works for water harvesting and catchment conservation, on a demand-driven basis. 2) Farmer Services and Livelihoods Fund (FSLF) - involves support to the beneficiary communities, especially those dependent on irrigation schemes, to obtain complementary services (extension/technology transfer, inputs, and marketing), including post-harvest assets, on a demand-driven basis, to optimize returns to irrigated farming, and market access for their produce. 3) Institutional Development and Community Mobilization - involves restructuring, strengthening, and/or the formation of smallholder farmer organizations/water user associations for irrigation transfer, management, and related activities, and, the establishment of water user associations, especially among rain-fed smallholders around irrigation schemes, for operation and maintenance of water harvesting structures and soil conservation. This component also supports limited policy and institutional capacity building measures within the Ministry of Agriculture(M0A) and the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Development (MOIWD); strengthening irrigation planning, design and supervision, capacity in the Department of Irrigation in MOIWD; assisting the Marketing Unit in the Department of Planning in MOA, as well supporting other agencies and institutions; and, capacity building of field staff farmer beneficiaries, and key stakeholders participating in project implementation. 4) Project Coordination Unit, and Monitoring and Evaluation - will establish a project coordination unit (PCU) within MOA which, through integration with ministry structures, would also assist in building the Ministry's capacity. It will involve recruiting experienced, professional staff for project management to oversee project implementation, monitor project implementation progress and impacts, coordinate between Ministries and other implementing entities, assist in capacity building, and coordinate and account for the use of project funds.