Cooperative agreement no. 677-0051-A-00-7021-00

Major activities of the SP, which will stress cooperation with farmers and a self-help approach, will be to test and dissmeminate improved irrigation pumps and farming techniques and to upgrade the extension capabilities of the Lake Chad Development Corporation (SODELAC). The SP will test two waterlifting pumps - the rower pump and the treadle pump - and, depending on test results, promote their use by farmers. Since use of these pumps will probably require improved wells, the SP team will gather detailed data on water yields from existing wells early on and will train one or more crews in tubewell installation. In addition, farmers will be trained in pump maintenance and a pump maintenance workshop will be built in Ngouri. In N"Djamena, VITA will identify and ORT will train entrepreneurs to manufacture the pumps. ORT and VITA may also provide credit to entrepreneurs to build the pumps and to farmers to purchase them and related equipment. To increase wadi yields, an agronomist and SODELAC extensionists will encourage farmers to adopt improved farming practicies, e.g., recommended cropping dates, the right amount of seed per ha, organic farming methods, and a long-handed hoe for better soil preparation. The SP will provide SODELAC extensionists with horses and a feed/care allowance for each horse, as well as on-the-job training in agronomy and irrigation technology. The SP will provide short-term training in rural community organization to 10 SODELAC extensionists in Senegal and training in pump and tubewell mechanics to a SODELAC agent, a specialist, and a village leader in Bangladesh. Other activities include: (1) developing a methodology to control salinization in wadi farms; (2) working with PCV"s to establish an agroforestry program to stabilize dunes and create windbreaks to protect (in some cases recover) wadi areas; and (3) since water increases may increase the prevalence of water-borne diseases, monitoring the SP"s health impact.