Rapid mini appraisal of irrigation development options and investment strategies for Tanzania/USAID

Incremental rather than long-term planning and the development of new irrigation technologies are urged. Overall, it is recommended that the GOT: upgrade the information networking capabilities of its Irrigated Agriculture Coordination Center; hire six new irrigation engineers for the Ministry of Agriculture"s Irrigation Division and have them provide short-term training to civil engineers; and undertake a rehabilitation program for irrigation equipment (a six-point program is provided). Specific recommendations in other areas are included. One of the appendices expands on a caution made in the body of the report that the GOT not depend solely on irrigation to achieve food security; reasons cited are economic and institutional constraints, the existence of other ways to increase production, and the sensitivity of irrigation water itself to drought.