The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR), through the Resilient Agriculture for Food Security Project (PARSA), is continuing to implement participatory community work and technical assistance activities aimed at strengthening irrigation associations and watershed management committees in the Central Department.

These initiatives focus in particular on the study, construction, and rehabilitation of hydro-agricultural infrastructure in the Gros Trou irrigated area in Cerca-Carvajal, the Abricot area in the municipality of Cerca-la-Source, and the Cave basin in the municipality of Maïssade.

The overall objective of these interventions is to improve the management and control of irrigation water, taking into account the increasing effects of climate change and environmental degradation. This also involves increasing agricultural production through crop diversification, higher yields, and overall improvement in the productivity of irrigated areas.

A transformation eagerly awaited by the producers of Cerca-cavajal

Pierre-Louis Décimus, President of the Farmers' Association of the Labocque Community (APCL), highlights the positive results already observed : "Previously, it was very difficult for community members to find water to irrigate their gardens. The catchment area couldn't retain the water due to the terrain, and it flowed into the ravines. At that time, only about sixty people could grow vegetables. Today, thanks to the support of the Ministry through the PARSA project, the work to reinforce the catchment area allows nearly 500 to 600 people to have access to water to irrigate their land. A rotation system, established in alphabetical order, allows each producer to benefit from one day of access to water for watering their garden."

The rehabilitation work on the Gros Trou perimeter aims to guarantee the efficient transfer of water from the source to the agricultural plots, while also promoting the expansion of the irrigation perimeter to previously unirrigated land. The main interventions include : the replacement of primary and secondary network pipes; the construction of five new distribution basins; the installation of four control valves and eight water distribution valves; the reconstruction of the structures crossing the Discipline and Sylvain ravines; and the extension of the network to new agricultural plots. This includes a main line of 390 linear meters (m) of 6-inch pipes and 280 m of 4-inch pipes, and secondary lines of 234 m of 6-inch pipes and 450 m of 4-inch pipes. In parallel with the irrigation work, several interventions are being carried out on the farm roads in Gros Trou to facilitate access to production areas, including the installation of slabs on the drainage canal at Carrefour Laboc to facilitate crossing; weeding at the drainage ditch locations; and the implementation of... The work includes the placement of compacted fill on degraded sections; the construction of drainage ditches; the construction of swales 7.4 meters long and 4 meters wide at the river; and the widening of the path to a minimum width of 3.5 meters.

Furthermore, the rehabilitation work on the Abricot irrigated perimeter, in the municipality of Cerca-la-Source, aims to improve the efficiency of the irrigation system by extending sections of masonry canals to reduce water loss through infiltration. The project also includes the construction of reservoirs and the installation of valves to allow for better control of water distribution to farmers. Specifically, the work includes : the construction of 900 meters of primary canal; the construction of 650 meters of secondary canal 1; the construction of 450 meters of secondary canal 2; the construction of 9 distribution reservoirs; and the installation of 21 valves and sluice gates for regulating and distributing water. Water.

Further along, the planned work on the agricultural tracks aims to facilitate access to production areas and ensure better runoff drainage. This includes : weeding, brush clearing, and leveling the road surface; widening the track to a minimum width of 4.5 meters; weeding around the areas designated for drainage ditches; constructing drainage ditches; installing a culvert to facilitate crossing the irrigation canal; placing compacted fill on the deteriorated sections of the track; and constructing three ditches intended for the evacuation of irrigation water and rainwater at strategic points of the agricultural track.

HL/ HaitiLibre