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Market gardening valley of Sibere Koyo
The grant from the Aquitaine Regional Council also enabled the Echange Nord-Sud Gironde association to contribute 30%, in partnership with the PAPIL (Support Program for Small Local Irrigation) and the ASPDR l local partner association, to the creation of a market gardening valley in Sibéré Koyo.
The objective of this part of the project was to overcome the lack of access to water, a sine qua none condition for the development of new food crops guaranteeing better food and, consequently, better health.
The financial and technical support of PAPIL gave greater scope to the initial project since instead of the planned 200 m3 reservoir, a spillway of 900,000 m3 was created. This dam thus enables more than 700 market gardeners to have their crops benefit from regular irrigation. The savings made on the reservoir enabled us to initiate the creation of wells in 12 more distant villages. In addition, ENS finances two pumps, up to 50%.
All the elements of the project are closely related: thus, the drudgery of the wood being less demanding thanks to the solar ovens and the efficient stoves, the women therefore have more availability to devote themselves to market gardening, the production of which is used for daily food. and trade. Very involved in this work, women, who are in the majority there, have organized themselves by dividing up the chores: for example, some stay in the fields while others sell the crops.
The consumption of these crops and milk and fruit jams begin to prevent deficiencies, the source of many diseases.
The collective use and maintenance of these facilities induces a pooling of resources, the beginning of agricultural cooperatives.
The financing of the fences by the association prevents herds from straying and therefore the degradation of crops by goats and cattle. There remain, however, other actions to be taken to finalize in an optimal way
this vegetable valley project:
Training in new market gardening techniques and vegetable preservation methods
Establishment of artisanal conservation cooperatives
The purchase of the refrigerated truck has multiplied their geographical area of trade; in order to optimize the use of the refrigerated truck, a diversification of clientele has already been imposed.
Diets are diversifying and incomes are rising. The follow-up sheets of this pilot company allow to note that approximately 25% of the crops have been consumed and 75% sold.
The use of seeds adapted both to a crop spread over the year and to the consideration of food tastes also explains: the success of this project to develop and enhance the market gardening perimeter of Sibéré Koyo but also the decrease in dependence on imported rice.
