Immediate Beneficiaries

Under the project, 11,500 ha of land will be shifted from subsistence farming (including grazing land) into diversified cash crop and staple food production. Once LUSIP is implemented agriculture in the project area will be transferred from rainfed subsistence farming into commercially oriented agriculture. The immediate beneficiaries can be classified into three groups.

Farmers & disadvantaged people

It is estimated that approximately 3,300 farm households, or about 30,000 people, will directly benefit from the incremental farm income through irrigation generated by LUSIP. Subsistence farmers will be integrated in a commercially oriented agriculture. By adopting an institutional structure based on WUGs or irrigation associations within LUSIP, restrictions on women's participation in rural development will be by-passed. The formation of WUGs allow for women or youths to have access to land through associations and to become members of these associations with the same duties and rights as the married men. Experiences in existing irrigation associations have shown that this is one mean by which women and other disadvantaged groups can gain access to their share of productive agricultural activity.

Situation without LUSIP

• Presently about 1,200 homesteads in project area
• Project area semi-arid, farming total dependent upon rainfall, low inputs and low yields
• Presently total farm income in project area around Euro 360 p.a.
• Crop production is oriented towards meeting subsistence needs
• Rainfed cotton as the only cash crop in project area
• Extensive cattle grazing resulting in serious soil erosion

Situation with LUSIP

• 3,300 farm households, or 30,000 people, will be accommodated in the irrigation scheme
• With LUSIP expected total farm income around Euro 2,900 p.a. for a farm size of 3.5 ha
• Crop production sugar cane, cotton, vegetable, citrus
• LUSIP will provide institutional support and training to assist farmers in forming irrigation associations or WUG
• LUSIP entirely will be run with the WUG forming the basic unit.
• Smallholders are integrated into the dynamic, commercial agricultural sector of Swaziland

The unemployed

People in the project area presently being unemployed will be able to choose between a large number of employment opportunities. On the one hand, they can be integrated into commercially oriented agriculture by being farmers or farm labour. On the other hand, they can benefit from a large demand for unskilled and semi-skilled labour during the construction phase of the irrigation infrastructure. Simultaneously, personnel will be required for the operation & maintenance of the whole irrigation scheme. LUSIP will make sure that adequate training will be provided enabling many presently skilled and semi-skilled jobless people to be part of the irrigation scheme.

Agro-processing industry

Since sugarcane and cotton will be dominating crops to be grown within LUSIP, the agro-processing industry will greatly benefit from the increased agricultural production. Sugarcane produced within LUSIP will contribute to an increase of Ubombo Sugar Mill's sugar production between 30-45%. Simultaneously, Vunisa Cotton Ginnery will increase the production of lint for at least 25%. Finally, the Distillery at Big Bend, presently under construction will process molasses to industrial alcohol. Evidently, all three agro-processors will considerably employ additional labour to cope with the increased agricultural production within LUSIP. Moreover, more agricultural extension workers will be employed, particularly by Ubombo Sugar and Vunisa Cotton Ginnery to advise the smallholder farmers.