Sheladia Associates, Inc.

The first objective is to improve and expand irrigated agriculture, making more irrigated land available for production and creating investment opportunities for the private sector in irrigation. The second objective is to create private animal feed enterprises for improved feed products and their distribution. Environmentally sound approaches to the development of each of these sub-sectors are critical to their sustainability. To the extent possible, women are to be mainstreamed in all aspects of these activities.

• Improvement in efficiencies and revenue generation of irrigated land
• Introduction of irrigation into new lands on an environmentally sound, sustainable basis
• Support of water user organizations to make better use of water for agriculture and for human and livestock consumption, while protecting the environment
• Design and implementation of M&E system for all project components.
• Major work includes the study of irrigation project feasibility and impacts such as increased irrigated area, increased cropping intensity, improved agricultural and livestock productivity, equity in distribution, returns to land leveling, water supply, sanitation and health, education/literacy, and poverty alleviation. Project assistance focuses on improving productivity and expanding the area under irrigation, while reducing the risk to producers.

Key activities are:

• Rapid assessment: field reconnaissance, document review, and stakeholder consultations
• Feasibility studies: using information gained during the rapid assessment, development of terms of reference for feasibility studies and design
• Construction, rehabilitation, and improvement works
• Provision of innovative micro-irrigation technologies: the bas fonds and controlled flooding zones, two of four irrigation systems in Mali, are ideal areas for introduction of low cost technologies to achieve quick impact on productivity and flood production
• Increasing productivity through improved soil fertility
• Strengthening of local farmer organizationa and irrigation management.