Smallholder Flood Plains Development Programme

At the request of the Government of Malawi, IFAD and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark helped Malawi develop a programme forming part of a prospective investment programme for the agricultural sector. The first step was to create a suitable policy framework within which a number of sub-programmes and activities could be implemented.

The programme’s main objective is to improve food security and income levels for the households of poor small-scale farmers in floodplain areas. One third of targeted households are headed by women. Because landholdings are small and agriculture is rainfed, farmers cannot produce enough to feed their families throughout the year. The aim is to assist water users’ associations so they can manage their own irrigation systems and also to support improvements in farm water use nationally to promote irrigation on an environmentally sustainable basis.

Through the programme, IFAD funds support:

• capacity-building in the public sector at national and local levels,
• expansion of smallholder irrigation in response to local demand and with full local participation
• improved irrigation autonomy and marketing
• community infrastructure and NGO support services, improving domestic water supply, sanitation and local health centres
• expanded rural financial services

Source: IFAD