Final report : social and economic influences on perimeter management and operation: findings from research in the Maggia Valley, Niger

The findings reported herein of research conducted in two dam-fed irrigation perimeters in Niger"s Maggia Valley challenge that assumption. Specifically examined were: (1) the sequence, duration, and seasonal variation of farming tasks on irrigated and rainfed plots; and (2) socioeconomic factors affecting farmers" performance of these tasks. The latter included labor availability; access to cash, land, and other productive resources; and power as it relates to land tenure and property, control over agronomic practices, decisionmaking, and the role of ONAHA, a parastatal charged with managing the perimeters. Findings show that farmers" access to cash, land, labor, and other resources (and hence their production strategies) vary - a factor which should be taken into account in water management and irrigation system design. Changes that might be instituted include flexible water schedules, wider choice in cropping patterns, changes in the size/composition of farmer groups, and designing systems which permit quicker irrigation flows. Strategies for increasing farmer participation in perimeter management, an ONAHA policy objective, are suggested.