Service Contract No 2007 / 147-446 Strategic ... - Swaziland

StakeholderUSA DistillersCommercialfarmersFarmersAssociationsLower UsuthuSmallholderIrrigation Project(LUSIP)KomatiDownstreamDevelopmentProject (KDDP)Restructuring andDiversificationManagement Unit(RDMU)Small-HolderIrrigation Project(SHIP)Description / relevance to the NASOne of two existing ethanol distilleries in Swaziland. It is related to the sugarsector as its main raw material is molasses, a by-product of the sugar process.The main environmental hazard of the distillery process is the management ofvinasse.A number of large commercial farmers supply cane to the mills, mainly TisukaTakaNgwane, Tibiyo, Crookes Plantations, Nisela Farms; Umbuluzi Estates;and Tambankulu.Numerous Farmers Associations have been established to support the sugarsector, for projects such as the Lower Usuthu Smallholder Irrigation Project(LUSIP) and the Komati Downstream Development Project (KDDP).Lower Usuthu Smallholders Irrigation Project. LUSIP is an irrigation project toallow smallholder farmers to expand their productivity, mainly (but notexclusively) through the production of sugar cane. It is expected to benefitapproximately 3,300 farm households, which corresponds to about 30,000people. LUSIP is being designed in such a way that the Usuthu River’s peaksummer flows will be diverted into a 160 Mm 3 capacity off-river reservoir. Waterwill then be conveyed to some 11,500 ha of irrigable land, which is beingdeveloped in two phases.The Komati Basin Development project was conceived in the early 1980’s toprovide irrigation water for farm development in South Africa and Swaziland. Itconsisted of three parts: (1) construction of the Maguga Dam; (2) developmentof 7,400 ha of irrigated farms downstream; and (3) expansion of the Mhlumesugar mill.KDDP is the second component of the Komati Basin Development project. Themain crop being developed is sugar cane. The project was conceived with fourdevelopment pillars:• Setting up of smallholder farmer associations;• Design and implementation of measures to mitigate the environmental andsocial impacts of the scheme;• Development of irrigated smallholder farms on approximately 7,400 ha ofland along the Komati River; and• Monitoring of the measures designated to mitigate the environmental andsocial impacts of the scheme.The project commenced in July 1999. To date about 3,700 ha of productionland have been planted to sugar cane and 350 ha have been dedicated todiversified agricultural production. A total of 239 homestead garden businesseshave been established.Established in 2007 to assist the MEPD co-ordinate the implementation of theNational Adaptation Strategy (NAS). The RDMU currently manages theimplementation of the EU Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) 2007 – 10through the NAS Steering Committee.Established under the RDMU as part of the EU support to the NAS. SHIPprovides support to new smallholder schemes with regards to their irrigationprojects. It has mainly been active in the LUSIP area. SHIP also hasresponsibilities for capacity building (both new and existing growers).RDMU (Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Adaptation Strategy) - Page 150