MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL RESOURCES REPUBLIC OF RWANDA Office of Permanent Secretary MINISTERE DE L’AGRICULTURE ET DES RESSOURCES ANIMALES REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR THE PROVISION OF OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE SERVICE FOR HILLSIDE IRRIGATION SCHEMES.
1. Background
The Task Force for Irrigation and Mechanization since 2010 has been developing pressurized hillside irrigation projects in Nasho and MatimbaMusheli, Kirehe and Nyagatare Districts, respectively. In Nasho, the developed irrigation scheme comprises 600 Ha, while at Matimba-Musheli, the irrigation scheme covers 400 Ha. The aim of the MINAGRI is to transform the agriculture in this region into commercial agriculture. The Nasho sprinkler irrigation system consists of 3 separate pumping stations supplying three lots of 200 Ha each through delivery main pipes of 400 Diameter, two reservoirs (2000 m3), delivery PVC pipeline (varying from 90mm-350mm) and plot equipment constituting semi mobile ramp and mobile ramp (aluminium pipe). The scheme has been typically designed as five (5) Ha plots with common irrigation infrastructure managed by a group of farmers owning pieces of land within the plot boundary. The Matimba - Musheli irrigation system consists of 2 lots of 200 Ha each through delivery main pipes of 400 Diameter. The 200 Ha of Matimba is composed of one (1) pumping station, 44 Ha of center pivot, 47 Ha of sprinkler irrigation, 109 Ha of flood irrigation, and one reservoir (2000 m3), delivery PVC pipeline (varying from 90mm-350mm), and plot equipment constituting semi mobile ramp and mobile ramp (aluminium pipes) mainly in sprinkler area. The 200 Ha of Musheli is composed of one (1) pumping station, 90 Ha of drip irrigation and 110 Ha of sprinkler irrigation, delivery PVC pipeline (varying from 90mm-350mm) and plot equipment constituting semi mobile ramp and mobile ramp (flexible pipes) mainly in sprinkler area. The scheme has been typically designed as five (5) Ha plots with common irrigation infrastructure managed by a group of farmers owning pieces of land within the plot boundary. Pressurized sprinkler Hillside irrigation is still a relatively new experience in Rwanda. Operation, maintenance and management of these pressurized irrigation systems require skills and it is in this light that MINAGRI is seeking for interested companies (national or international) to express their interest in offering operation, maintenance and management service to the 1,000 Ha of irrigation scheme at both Nasho (Lot – 1: 600 Ha) and Matimba-Musheli (Lot –
2: 400 Ha). 2. Scope of Services In order to ensure sustainability and long term viability of the hillside irrigation investment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) is seeking to contract skilled private service providers for the operation, maintenance and management of Nasho (lot-1) and Matimba-Musheli (lot-2) Irrigation Schemes.
The core services of the service provider will be to: • • • •
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Operate the pump station hydraulic equipment; Operate the main hydraulic infrastructures; Repair and maintain the pump station and main hydraulic infrastructures; Provide other auxiliary services like agriculture extension services like, crop production, fertilizer use, post-harvest and handing storage, farm mechanization, and crop residues management); Organize the farmers (owning land in the irrigation scheme) for better use of the water irrigation; Organize the farmers (owning land in the irrigation scheme) in cooperative and Water User Associations (WUAs); Collect water fees from the WUAs and remit an agreed portion to the Government Irrigation Fund; Train the farmers in agriculture extension services like, crop production, fertilizer use, post-harvest and handing storage, farm mechanization, and crop residues management); Train the irrigators with the aim of developing their business and marketing skills; Monitor the crop productivity and set strategies for crop yield improvement in the irrigation scheme.
3. Eligibility and pre-qualifying criteria
3.1 Basic general requirements for companies:
The bidder should be a registered company and or NGO dealing with agriculture development and irrigation scheme management. The bidder must provide a profile of their company and CVs of the potential staff, including the Farm Operation and Management Officer, Irrigation Engineers, Agronomists, Electronical technicians, Plumber technicians, Extensionists, etc. The Bidder should have skilled, qualified and experienced – agronomists, technicians and other technocrats on the Bidder’s payroll who can operate and maintain hydraulic equipment and offer on farm training and agriculture extension.
The bidder must have access to a field repair shop for the purposes of carrying out repairs of electrical and mechanical irrigation equipment. The bidder must have access to tractors and implements to carry out mechanized agriculture.
3.2 Technical Requirement The bidder (or professionals employed by bidder) should have proven experience in organization of communities, formation of cooperatives, and operation of hydraulic equipment for irrigation (or water) and provision of agriculture extension services and proven experience in successful incubation of agriculture Small –Medium-Enterprises (SME) will be an added advantage.
4. Client obligation MINAGRI will be obliged to pay a subsidy (availability payment) to the service provider in the first year of operation but this subsidy is projected to diminish as the collection and payment of water fees from Water Users Association increases.
5. Contract duration The duration of the contract will be Two (2) year renewable on good performance on set indicators. 6. Interested Companies The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources now invites interested international and national companies to indicate their interest in providing the services and works. • Interested bidder will obtain any clarification in writing to the following address: The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources, P.O Box 621 Kigali. Rwanda or to the office for Irrigation and Mechanization Task Force/MINAGRI.
The expression of interest must be delivered to the above address latest 16th July 2013 at 4.00 pm (16h00’).
Done at Kigali, 15 April 2013 RUZINDAZA Ernest Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources