Uganda - Olweny Swamp Rice Irrigation Project

The Olweny Swamp Rice Irrigation Project covers a gross irrigation perimeter of about 1,016 ha in the western part of the lower reaches of the Olweny Swamp, bisected from east to west by the Soroti - Agwata - Lira highway. The planned net irrigated area was 800 ha, of which 120 ha would serve as a nucleus, research, training and demonstration farm and the remaining 780 ha as a supervised smallholder farm area. With increasing urbanisation, propensity to rice consumption and the increasing rice importation foreign exchange bill, local increase in rice production aimed at import substitution, among other benefits, is a desirable agricultural development priority. The project will have substantial favourable income redistribution effects in favour of small farmers and agricultural labourers in Lira district, a relatively underdeveloped area in Uganda. This is one measure in implementing such a policy decision. It will also help in reducing regional economic inbalances, as well as poverty in the project area, in particular, and in the region in general. The project will be implemented over a five year period.