National Irrigation Policy.

The National Irrigation Policy is a sectoral national policy adopted by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to address the problems, constraints and opportunities, which cut across the whole irrigation sub-sector; and specifically for informal, formal and commercial irrigation. The Policy’s goal is to achieve sustainable growth and enhanced performance of irrigation contributing fully to the goals of the Ghanaian agriculture sector. It is designed to open up the investment space for intensified and diversified irrigated crop production in Ghana and it seeks to address the following four problems: (a) low agricultural productivity and slow rates of growth, (b) constrained socio-economic engagement with land and water resources, (c) environmental degradation associated with irrigated production, and (d) lack of irrigation support services. The Policy addresses the mentioned problems through: (1) performance and growth; (2) socio-economic inclusion; (3) responsible production; and (4) enhance services.The overall objective of the Policy will contribute to eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. The implementation of the Policy will help establish proper irrigation systems that will contribute to food production and food security of the country.As noted, the Policy’s goal is to achieve sustainable growth and enhanced performance of irrigation contributing fully to the goals of the Ghanaian agriculture sector. In particular, the Policy will seek to raise productivity of agricultural water for irrigation, livestock watering and aquaculture, to enhance production potential of ongoing irrigation activities; to develop new irrigation areas according to demand and feasibility; to establish appropriate funding mechanisms for public irrigation; and to increase private sector investment in irrigation. In addition, the Policy will seek to raise the environmental performance of all types of irrigation and related agricultural practice through a broad adoption of good agricultural practice on irrigated lands; and to extend cost-effective, demand driven irrigation services to public and private irrigators through a series of clear economic incentives for farmer participation.Furthermore the Policy contributes to the reduction of rural poverty in Ghana through its application in the rural regions of the country. In particular, it seeks to prepare gender sensitive and pro-poor agricultural development plans responsive to market forces and community and cooperatives demand.The Policy also seeks to reform land tenure and water use right provisions to give women equal voices in natural resource management and to ensure that local water management arrangements are all inclusive. In addition, clear economic incentives for farmers' participation in scheme management, operation and maintenance will be developed and implemented.With the implementation of the Policy, Ghana will endeavour to overcome the challenges of the irrigation sub-sector, especially in relation to climate change and its effects on rainfall patterns.The Ghana Irrigation Development Authority of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is responsible for the implementation of the Policy. It shall become a proactive promoter of both public and private irrigation development with much more effective, functional links within the agriculture sector. The key collaborating agencies outside the Ministry of Food and Agriculture are the Water Resources Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and local government but equally important are effective links with NGOs and private sector service providers.

Implemented by: National Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Security Action Plan of Ghana (2016-2020). (2016)