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technical support to set a common framework to improve
Senegalese farmers’ capacities to adapt to climate change and
to ensure sustainable agricultural development.
The Sahel subregion is one of the most vulnerable regions
of the world. Poverty is pervasive and agriculture is the most
important sector and the principle source of livelihood for
the majority of the people. The agricultural sector faces high
exposure to risks and extreme climate conditions, leading to
repeated cycles of droughts and desertification.
Most of Senegal lies within the drought-prone Sahelian
region, typified by irregular rainfall and generally poor soils.
With only about 5 per cent of the land under irrigation, the
heavy reliance on rain-fed cultivation results in large fluc-
tuations in production. About 75 per cent of the working
population is involved in farming. The vast majority of crops
are rain-fed, making water availability one of the country’s
biggest agricultural challenges. Successive droughts and
mismanagement of natural resources have led to declining
yields as soils have become degraded, mostly due to erosion.
Intensification of agriculture through the production of irri-
gated high-value crops (particularly in dry regions) is a way to
overcome the constraints of climate and soil while significantly
increasing farmers’ income. The relative advantage of growing
labour-intensive vegetables lies in small-scale family units where
the smallholder can utilize family labour to achieve better results.
The activities of the TIPA project in Senegal focus on the
improvement and support of the horticulture sector in the
central regions of Thies, Djourbel and Fatik. Basic drip irri-
gation technology is being introduced in order to achieve
increased productivity, quality and marketing of the produce,
and to create better value and production chains.
The present programme has been formulated upon a
specific request of the Ministry of Agriculture of Senegal, thus
representing an important tool in support of the national strat-
egies for the reduction of poverty. Moreover, the programme
is based on a participatory approach focused on the role of
the community, and especially on women’s associations and
local community, as socioeconomic development promoters.
In sub-Saharan Africa 70-80 per cent of smallholder farmers
are women. As a means to empower women, the TIPA project
creates a context for promoting gender mainstreaming related
to the role of women in society, creating a ripple effect for
sustainable development.
The TIPA project also takes into consideration aspects of
environmental sustainability. Surface irrigation and extensive
use of groundwater could be detrimental to soil quality and
plant production, leading to land abandonment and desertifi-
cation. Fragile environments need particular care for reducing
soil degradation. Using drip irrigation to increase horticulture
productivity in semi-arid areas of Senegal allows a more rational
use of water to reduce soil degradation and protect the aquifers.
TIPA is a family drip irrigation system based on the concept
of the African market garden – a small-scale horticultural
production package based on low-pressure drip-irrigation, a
mix of vegetables and tree crops, and a management package
that leads to optimization of the production system. The
biggest benefit of TIPA is the decreased labour requirements
for irrigation and weeding. Benefits of using the system
include water saving, higher yields of improved quality vege-
tables and fruits, the ability to produce crops year-round, and
greater likelihood of maintaining the productive capacity of
the soil. The mix of crops allows households to meet their
own needs and sell any excess in local markets.
The hardware components of the basic model comprise a
concrete reservoir, a plastic drip irrigation kit, and a water
pump. The size of individual market gardens can range from
The TIPA project helps people achieve sustainable development, food security and community development
Image: MASHAV
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