“This study investigates the role of small scale labour intensive irrigation technologies on poverty alleviation among small scale farmers in Majengo area in Mbeya rural district. The assumption behind the study is that unreliability and inadequacy of rainfall are a source of and constraint to poverty alleviation efforts. The use of small scale irrigation technologies i.e. Improved-Traditional Irrigation schemes, will ensure adequate and timely supply of water to many farms and hence increase productivity and production of rice which is the main crop in the area. The increased rice productivity will in turn be translated into increased output, incomes, employment including non-farm employment and increased ability to build better houses, acquire other assets, buy better clothes, and ability to pay for social services e.g. education, health and water all of which imply poverty reduction. This study therefore has found that the irrigation scheme has not succeeded substantially towards poverty alleviation in Majengo area. Problems which are institutional, technical, managerial and policy related are responsible for such a failure. These problems must be solved or reduced so that schemes like this one in Majengo area can effectively play their expected roles of increasing agricultural productivity and production and hence contribute to poverty reduction.”
