Performance of farmers' organizations in Punjab, Pakistan: The challenges and way forward

✍ Scribed by Asrar-UlHaq

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 82 KB
• Volume: 59
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1531-0353
• DOI: 10.1002/ird.547

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

This paper presents initial results of performance evaluation of farmers' organizations (FOs) in the Lower Chenab Canal (East) Pilot Area Water Board (AWB) of Pakistan's Punjab. It discusses the overall setting of the system, FOs' management regime and monitoring framework for assessing their performance. The paper also identifies major challenges confronting these young organizations and strategies for improving their performance, replication and sustainable growth. The internal and external performance evaluation of 84 FOs, conducted by the Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) consultants, indicates that performance of about 20% FOs is good, 60–65% satisfactory, while the performance of 15–20% of FOs ranges from unsatisfactory to poor. This evaluation brings out the good performance of FOs in dispute resolution, improved equity and development of local capacity for irrigation management. The main FO issues include declining abiana collection, weaknesses in maintenance of accounts and increasing inequity in water distribution in some cases. Improvement strategies include continued capacity building and mainstreaming of FOs, avoiding institutional fatigue, closer coordination and support to FOs and improved monitoring systems for identification of FO problems and timely course correction. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.