Description

Efficient and effective irrigation of the land can have a dramatic effect on the agricultural output and economic well-being of a community. The smallholdings, defined in this book as up to 25 hectares (60 acres), can be the source of a significant proportion of a country's food production. At the heart of effective irrigation lies the problem of lifting or pumping water, and this handbook, newly revised and reformatted, surveys the water-lifting technologies that are available and appropriate for smallholdings. It is a detailed and practical review of the options, especially for irrigation but also for other purposes, and the costs and general suitability of the different technologies are examined with the aim of enabling farmers and policy makers to make informed choices.