The report is aimed at professionals, international development agencies and development NGOs. The authors take some time to explain the principles of manual pumping and the reasons why different designs are needed to provide practical options for farmers. The report provides a positive answer to the question. The evidence is that the treadle pump is a technology that can offer those who invest in it good returns. Much of the agriculture in Africa is smallholder based and this technology offers individuals or groups of individuals the opportunity to respond to family and market needs without government intervention.
Treadle pumps are successful and are an important step to improving rural incomes throughout Africa.
This was in response to the Government of Malawi s need to successfully increase the number of smallholder farmers engaged upon irrigated agriculture. The aim is to help field assistants and development officers, to promote, encourage and support individuals and groups of smallholders to gain the benefits of irrigated agriculture. The draft material was thoroughly reviewed and commented upon at a workshop of representative Field Assistants, Development Officers and national experts on horticulture and irrigation held in Lilongwe in November 1999. The material has been purposefully simplified to provide answers to the most commonly asked questions. The intention is for the Field Guide to be published and printed in Malawi, by the Department of Irrigation and the Agricultural Communications Branch of the Ministry of Agriculture, as a loose-leaf folder to allow ease of revision and ease of use in the field.