Farm Survey and Small-Scale Irrigation Project in Gwembe Valley, Zambia

Situation of small farming families in Zambia and attitude to the
irrigation system.

Topics: Size of family; number of wives of head of family; number of
adult children in the family; migration of family members and degree
of relation to the migrant; location and duration of migration;
migrant´s activities; migrant´s contribution to family income; size
of farm or number of fields; cultivation of community land;
possession of livestock; sales of livestock and price received;
amount of milk sold daily; use of cow manure; possession of a work
ox; possession of farming equipment; transport for others by ox cart;
employing and paying workers; length and type of employment of
workers and type of payment; farming activities together with spouse
and type of work; paid work by family members on another farm;
non-farming activities of family members and type of work; amount of
annual income from paid work and non-farming activities;
participation in the irrigation system; interest in immediate use of
newly irrigated land; preferred form of selecting participants in the
irrigation system; estimated extent of irrigated area to be farmed
personally; performing such farming with one´s own family or
additional workers needed; distance to the irrigated areas; attitude
to self-administration of the irrigation system; perceived advantages
and disadvantages of farming with irrigation; directions received or
advice from employees of the irrigation plant; preferred contact when
seeking advice; making contact with representatives of local and
state administration; biggest problems perceived regarding working
and living conditions as well as preferred improvements.

Participants in the irrigation system were additionally asked: length
of participation; planned cultivation of agricultural products and
reasons for the choice.

Non-participants in the irrigation system were additionally asked:
time and length of earlier participation; reasons for
non-participation; interest in irrigated productive land.