Small pumps and the poor: a field survey in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Despite public-sector attempts at developing irrigation, most smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana still rely on manual methods to irrigate dry-season vegetables on small acreages. A field survey was carried out to ascertain the potential of motorized pumps in irrigated agriculture in the region. The findings indicate that use of pumps is far more beneficial than other irrigation methods, and rainfed farming in general, and irrigators generally regard their pumps as "saviours". The major problem for the majority of farmers is the lack of financial means to purchase the pumps.