Improving Access to Affordable Dry-Season Irrigation Through the DONTHO Bucket System for Smallholder Farmers in TA Mthwalo, Mzimba District, Malawi.

About this Project

In Kamfyukutu, Kafukule and surrounding villages under Traditional Authority Mthwalo in Mzimba District ROOT-RISE Agribusiness will improve access to affordable dry-season irrigation for 300 smallholder farmers during the first phase through the Dontho   Bucket System, a locally developed, low-cost, gravity-fed irrigation technology that can irrigate up to 100 plant stations without fuel or electricity. With a $4,865.79 co investment with  World Connect, the project will support the production and supply of 300 irrigation systems, practical farmer training, a community demonstration plot, technical support, and farmer mobilisation. Building on successful field testing by 47 smallholder farmers, the project will prioritise women and youth who face significant financial and labour barriers to conventional irrigation technologies. The project aims to increase dry-season crop production, reduce the time and physical labour required for manual watering, improve household agricultural income, and strengthen climate-resilient farming. Through a subsidised market-entry model, farmer contributions and continued commercial sales after the grant period, the project will establish a sustainable pathway for continued access to affordable irrigation beyond the life of the grant.