A report on Afife rice irrigation scheme

A REPORT ON AFIFE RICE IRRIGATION SCHEME.

                        

INTRODUCTION

 The Afife Irrigation project is located in the Volta Region of Ghana. Rice production in the district, which is solely the Afife Irrigation project, is under the management of Ghana Irrigation Development Authority and the developed area under production is 880 hectares out of the total land size of 1,650 hectares. The Afife Irrigation project was established by the Ghanaian Government in 1982 at Afife. The farmers have formed themselves into a very strong co-operative society for input of credit acquisition for production as well as inventory credit mobilisation  system loan repayment.

The project consists essentially of two earthen dams situated on the lower reaches of the Agali and Kplikpa rivers that deliver water to the field by gravity. The project headwork’s is an earth fill dam of height 11.5m and a crest level of 18.80m.The spillway level is at an elevation of 15.49m and the surface area at the spillway elevation is 544 hectares. The reservoir capacity is 29.45millimeter cube. 

CLIMATE

The mean annual rainfall of Afife in the coastal Savannah Zone varies from 710mm at the coast to about 1,133mm inland. The rainfall distribution is bimodal giving a major period between March and June and a minor season between September and November. The mean annual temperature is about 22.4-27.5 degree Celsius and relative humidity 77%-85%,wind speed 96-85 km/day, sunshine hours 6.0-6.5 and solar radiation 4.43-4.80mm/day. Vegetation is coastal shrub and grassland. 

REASON FOR THE SITE FOR RICE IRRIGATION

An exercise conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Ministry of Food and Agriculture found out that only low lying areas have high water retention capacities suitable for  rice projects, hence the Afife area was been used for the rice project. Moreover the Afife site is also chosen for the project due to the two rivers Agali and Kplikpa which could also aid in irrigation and the major soil found is clay loom which is good for rice.

There wasn’t any Environmental Impact Assessment of the area before the irrigation project was established. This is because there wasn’t any Environmental Impact Assessment procedure at that time in 1962 when the project commenced.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF THE PROJECT

The people in the area collect water from pools in the valley and the two main dams, and reported that the area is considered a guinea worm endemic zone. Moreover, the Agale dam is heavily silted and can only serve farmers for 15 days instead of the original 40 day period. The reason was that there is a poor rainfall pattern that has been recorded across the length and breadth of the country.

However, to sustainably manage the source water use for the irrigation, based on the shortages of water supply. There is the need to construct barriers around the two rivers and drive away all the individuals and group of persons who have started farming in and around the catchment area of the dams, since their activities and operations have somehow contributed to the situation.  These people could be relocated to the downstream for their activities and to prevent conflict between different entities, such as farmers and fishermen over water use, there is the need to relocate them to the downstream of the river for their activities and compensate them for their relocation.

HOW THE RICE IS GROWN, HARVESTED AND MILLED

Rice comes in long grain, medium grain and short grain textures. First of all, the rice is nursed on the bed for some weeks and given the right amount of water and other nutrients like NPK fertilisers. When the rice on the bed sprouts, they are transplanted. Short grains, medium grain and long grain rice thrive in the wet season. Few weeks later when the rice has been transplanted, once the rice grains develop, the water in which they grow must drain and they are then harvested with a combine harvester. After harvesting, the crop is milled with the milling machines and is ready for packaging. The rice grains are then measured and packaged in bags which could weigh starting from 5 kg and above. Finally, after the packaging, the rice is now ready for sale at the market.

Though the local rice produced at Afife is very nutritious and free from any defects, the general public doesn’t take any delight in patronising it. This is due to its local nature and the colour of the grains which are not pure white like the foreign one.  But the people have failed to realise that the foreign rice is being treated with chemicals and fertilisers which the greater part of its nutrient is removed and also harmful to human health. It is therefore very essential for the government of Ghana to create awareness of such issues which will make them realise the importance of the local rice.

USES OF RICE HUSKS

The outermost layer of the paddy grain is the rice husk also called rice hull. While there are some uses for rice husk, it is still often considered a waste product in the rice mill and therefore often either burnt or dumped on wasteland. Husk has a high calorific value and therefore can be used as a renewable fuel.

GENDER ISSUE IN AFIFE RICE IRRIGATION

Well there were no gender issues in the Afife rice irrigation site being identified. But with regards to the farmers, both men and women work in the rice farm, they both help in the milling and packaging. But the men mostly do the milling. The sale at the market lies in the hands of the women and few men. There is no gender segregation on the site but rather equity with regards to the work being carried out.

APPLICATION OF FERTILISERS AND PESTICIDE

Both the fertiliser and pesticide are moderately used according to Mr Samuel Boakye (manager).Fertilizer such as NPK are been used.

AFIFE RICE IRRIGATION SCHEME IN PICTURES

Figure 1: farmers moving rice plant from bed for transplanting

Figure 2: Afife rice farm

Figure 3: Afife rice storage depot

CONCLUSION

It is worth pursuing it for the production of rice in Afife. The government has to financially support the rice farmers to enable high production of rice in the country. It is also very essential to motivate the farmers at Afife rice Irrigation by giving them incentives and support them with modern farm machinery. If this is done the farmers will be enticed to produce at the maximum efficiency which will yield high productivity of rice in the country.