Water savings: Persistence pays off at Vaalharts

Abstract

Irrigation Productive water usage in irrigated agriculture remains a critical issue. While irrigation accounts for 25% to 90% (depending on the crop) of agricultural production in South Africa, it uses about 60% of the country’s surface water. It is well known, however, that relatively large volumes of water are required to produce raw material for beneficiation in the food value chain. With competition for water growing from other users such as industry and mining, farmers are under increased pressure to improve water-use efficiency while still contributing to the country’s food market demands. Water for agriculture is transported over long distances by means of rivers, canals, on-farm furrows and irrigation fields. On average, around 30% to 40% of water supplied to irrigation farms is lost in conveyance structures due to evaporation, spillage, leakage and incorrect water management with river and canal distribution. Older systems can record periodic losses of up to 70%. This means that, in most cases, significant water savings through better water loss control are possible.

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