2. The Horticulture in West Africa Advantages and Constraints

3. Development of an irrigated horticulture industry in West Africa is based on the following determinants: 1.Market availability and access to markets 2.Human capacity 3.Production management 4.Irrigation technology 5.Business services 6.Policy and institutional environment

4. 1. Markets In recent years a very large tomatoes for export industry has been developed in Burkina Faso resulting from the initiative by Ghana importers, with very little inputs by the official sector In the January-April period about 30 track-loads of tomatoes (about 600 tons) cross the border to Ghana on a daily basis

6. As a result thousands of young entrepreneurs are producing tomatoes near lake Yako using the most primitive irrigation technologies

7. Access to markets Regular train service between Burkina and Ivory Coast encouraged the development of perishable vegetables exports from Bobo Dioulassou to Abidjan

8. In West Africa there is a huge underexploited regional market for vegetables For example: Annual Volume (tons) of Imports of Four Vegetable Species to Benin (2006)

9. Expansion of the regional vegetables export is constrained by limited vision of governments and development agencies. For example In both Burkina Faso and Niger new World Bank financed programs for development of horticulture exports in the region focus in the promotion of existing institutionalized" products like onions. In Burkina no attention is given to official promotion of tomatoes exports because its development was not sanctioned by the establishment. In Niger there is huge potential for exportation of watermelons and peppers to Nigeria and of tomatoes and hot peppers (both fresh and dry) to Both Benin and Nigeria In both Burkina Faso and Niger new World Bank financed programs for development of horticulture exports in the region focus in the promotion of existing institutionalized" products like onions. In Burkina no attention is given to official promotion of tomatoes exports because its development was not sanctioned by the establishment. In Niger there is huge potential for exportation of watermelons and peppers to Nigeria and of tomatoes and hot peppers (both fresh and dry) to Both Benin and Nigeria Senegal due to the mild climate and easy sea access to neighboring tropical countries could become the major regional exporter of vegetables to the region. Instead Senegal is concentrating all its efforts on exports to Europe-a highly competitive market with strict regulations on produce quality Senegal due to the mild climate and easy sea access to neighboring tropical countries could become the major regional exporter of vegetables to the region. Instead Senegal is concentrating all its efforts on exports to Europe-a highly competitive market with strict regulations on produce quality

10. Development of any viable export industry should start with the market-not with the products-not that a country is already producing The Israeli horticulture exports industry is an example of this latter approach When the profitability of the flowers-for exports diminished Israel exports shifted to vegetables, herbs and fruit When the profitability of the flowers-for exports diminished Israel exports shifted to vegetables, herbs and fruit When dates producers realized that the variety Medjhul fetches much higher prices than existing varieties, all these varieties were replaced by Medjhul When dates producers realized that the variety Medjhul fetches much higher prices than existing varieties, all these varieties were replaced by Medjhul

11. 2. Human capacity West African farmers do not know how to properly produce irrigated vegetables Why? Because there is no one there to teach them The number of good vegetables production technicians in West Africa is extremely limited Capacity building of both technicians and farmers should be first priority in any irrigated horticulture activity in West Africa

12. Set up and capacity building costs (USD) for a one hectare AMG in Niger using artesian water as proposed by ICRISAT to a donor

13. Training small producers on vegetables seeds multiplication

14. Training on vegetables nursery

15. Training regional technicians on drip irrigation

16. Each year ICRISAT conducts about 10 on station training courses on various aspects of the horticulture industry and up to 100 on farm courses but these are just a drop in a bucket of water Follow up is a very important component of capacity building. The high success rate of the AMG project in Senegal (called TIPA) is a direct result of a tight and long term follow-up strategy

17. 3. Production Management Based on a survey of 20 vegetables producers around Niamey a protocol for a traditional vegetables garden management was developed. Vegetables production using an improved management package was compared with the traditional practice. The differences between the Improved Management and the Traditional System were mostly in the amount of manure and fertilizer appllied Set up and production costs were similar for both systems

19. 4. Irrigation Technologies Horticulture production is an integrated system incorporating many factors such as crop management, varietal selection, post harvest treatment etc. Water supply is just one component of the production system and solving the problem of water supply will not have any significant effect if the other elements are not attended to. No silver bullets Water supply using manual pumps and hand carried watering cans are labor intensive and restrict the small producer to very small perimeters. Releasing producers from the burden of manual water delivery by using drip irrigation will allow them to operate a much larger field significantly increasing their net revenues.

20. The poorer the producer is the more important is the reliability of the water supply and the irrigation equipment because poor farmers are unable to or reluctant to replace damaged equipment. Pumps must not break and irrigation equipment should last for many years. Please do not go for cheap affordable systems as advocated by some US NGOs (I once did this mistake by buying an affordable Reno assembled in Romania-it lasted two months) Go for large perimeters particularly for the poorest farmers, using reliable, minimal-labor water delivery equipment such as solar pumps. Purchasing cost of these pumps are much higher but they will assure sustainability and high income. And last I would like to emphasize that factors such as market driven crops diversification, product quality and year round production are much more important for the profitability of the horticulture industry than the irrigation system that is used

21. 5. Business Services (value chains etc) The value chain of the vegetables industry in not well developed. This includes: Ready supply of quality seeds Ready supply of quality seeds Ready supply of irrigation equipment (including pumps) and spare parts Ready supply of irrigation equipment (including pumps) and spare parts Availability of fertilizers, particularly soluble fertilizers Availability of fertilizers, particularly soluble fertilizers Availability of storage facilities particularly for onions and potatoes Availability of storage facilities particularly for onions and potatoes Marketing chains Marketing chains Processing industries Processing industries Good roads and harassment in roads by government officials Good roads and harassment in roads by government officials Some of these services are increasingly available in Senegal that is leading the region in horticulture development but even there they have a long way to go

22. 6. Policy and Institutional Environment I have comments on two elements (subsidies and research) under this topic 6.1. Whenever African governments want to encourage new industries and services such as tourism or tele-communications they find it naturally to heavily subsidize the Hiltons and the Oranges of this world But why are so many demanding from farmers-the poorest of the poor to fully finance agriculture development? 6.2. Research is needed to improve the quality of the local vegetables varieties and to develop varieties that are adapted to the climate and soils of dry Africa Research is needed to develop low cost storage facilities for onions and potatoes In other words research is needed to solve region-specific problems A research component should be incorporated into each new program on irrigated horticulture development

23. Conclusions In West Africa there is a very big potential for irrigated horticulture production In West Africa there is a very big potential for irrigated horticulture production This potential can be materialized only if one takes a holistic approach with emphasis on utilization of the vast regional market, in diversification of exported products, in capacity building of all players, in provision of business services and on irrigation technologies that should lead to increased productivity while reducing the labor load currently used for water deliveryThis potential can be materialized only if one takes a holistic approach with emphasis on utilization of the vast regional market, in diversification of exported products, in capacity building of all players, in provision of business services and on irrigation technologies that should lead to increased productivity while reducing the labor load currently used for water delivery Small scale irrigated horticulture can, better than any other agricultural activity, lift a substantial number of small farmers of the Sahel out of poverty Small scale irrigated horticulture can, better than any other agricultural activity, lift a substantial number of small farmers of the Sahel out of poverty

24. Where there is a will there is a way Thank You