Green Revolution Program Research Articles

Training engineering supervisors for small-scale irrigation development in Nigeria

Peoples' programme A very significant feature of the small-scale irrigation programme is that with a bit of ingenuity and tact it can be made a 'peoples' programme', and the community's active participation can be secured in its implementation. This will not only cut the costs of such schemes substantially, but will also encourage the people to think of these schemes as their own, which is very important to the success of any programme undertaken in the public sector. Obviously such a personal attachment is missing in any largescale project. Separate small-scale irrigation departments need to be set up in both the federal and state governments to encourage development. The benefits of small-scale irrigation should not be overlooked, and the The ultimate aim is the optimum use of the soil and water resources, and the adoption of appropriate technology within the framework of the particular socio-economic structure. Only the careful use of both surface and groundwater together will have a dramatic effect on increased food production. Small-scale schemes are attractive because the initial outlay involved is small, they can be executed quickly and yield quick results, they normally require no special expertise or equipment, and local expertise and resources (including human resources) can be easily mobilized for their execution. The disadvantages, however, are their cost of maintenance, their relatively short life, and the limited protection they afford. Because of the current funding constraints; the urgent need to curb food imports; the lack of well-trained, technical personnel and sophisticated construction equipment; and the need to make full use of our human and material resources; these smallscale schemes are often very appropriate. where large projects are suitable, and there are others where only small schemes are possible. Still others may offer a chance to blend the two. In the northern part of the country a large number of seasonal streams could be tapped by constructing small storage tanks made of earthen dams and their canal systems, while in the south numerous perennial streams could be harnessed by constructing masonry THE CONFLICTING roles of the large-scale and small-scale irrigation schemes in the green revolution programme, and the economics of such schemes, are often questioned. There should in fact be no conflict between these two types of schemes, because they are complementary to and not competitive with each other. In a large, geographically varied country like Nigeria, there should be ample scope for both. There are parts of the country

The Kenya state, agribusiness and the peasantry

It is obvious that LHAT has gained great influence in a short space of time. President Momoh himself has said 'LIAT have come to stay, and they are going to stay'. PANAFU members who have publicised and criticised LHAT's activities in Sierra Leone have been detained by the Government. At the moment it seems lhkely that projects like FOREX and the bridge from Lungi Airport to Freetown will go ahead. However, it would be wrong to assume that LHAT are in complete control of the government. At the moment government is preparing a Green Revolution Programme for the agricultural sector, which involves the import of 200 tractors. It has been reported that Minister Kargbo recently visited Saudi Arabia to discuss the import of tractors and yet various sources in the Ministry of Agriculture say that there have been negotiations with LIAT. This suggests that the government is bargaining with both sides (i.e. the Arabs/Palestinians on the one hand and the Israelis/South Africans on the other hand) in order to see which will provide the best deal. It remains to be seen which side will win an alliance with Sierra Leone in the fmal analysis.

The food marketing system: Implications of the green revolution programme in Nigeria

This paper focuses on the food marketing system in three selected markets in the Kwara State of Nigeria as it affects the new agricultural development programme known as the Green Revolution. Analysis shows that, on average, transportation costs alone make up 54·5% of the total marketing costs. Seasonality is a problem in the food marketing industry in the area of study and in Nigeria in general. Analysis also indicates that there is no formal system of providing information. Most information is transmitted by informal sources. The paper therefore suggests ways of reforming these services if Nigerians are to benefit from the success of the Green Revolution.

Public learning and participation in the development process

At the recent commissioning of the Bakolori Dam Project in Sokoto State, the thrust of the views expressed by public officials’ underscores the continued dilemma of the development process in most developing economies today. The content of the speech by the State Governor is most revealing for the contradiction between aspirations of the society, the strategies for achieving those aspirations as articulated by the leadership and understood by the public. While affirming the impact of the dam for increased food production, a corner-stone of the Green Revolution Programme, the Governor invited the private entrepreneurs to invest in allied agro-industries in collaboration with the Sokoto River Basin Authority; while acknowledging the political, social and financial sources for the problems of land acquisition and compensation for the dam, the Governor emphasised the need for the urgency to educate the public on the social and economic advantages of the Goronyo Dam, the second dam under construction in the Sokoto area in order to avoid a repetition of the Bakolori Dam riot.’ The investment of public funds for a dam to irrigate land for food production designed for the direct benefit of a segment of the population whose ownership and land-use pattern and productive system will be radically changed is a laudable objective. However, the invitation to the private sector to establish a tomato puree industry has serious implications for the land-use and ownership pattern, production and pricing system. These are areas of potential conflict with the aspirations of the local farmers, were the industry to be forced for its survival to a backward integration into raw material production.” Two perceptions of development are responsible for these contradictions: