Production of high valued and niche crops for domestic and export markets can be important sources of income for farmers operating as outgrowers, contract farmers, or as individuals. Commercial agriculture, especially as conducted by smallholders, will require access to a predictable water supply to ensure success, particularly as climate change scenarios predict increased variability in rainfall in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Irrigation, either through supplemental or full-scale systems, will be an important component of this success.
