The objectives of the loan (1993-1999) were to build on the achievements of some of the Northern agricultural development projects (ADPs) in developing small-scale irrigation through the extraction of shallow groundwater with low-cost petrol-driven pumps. By making agricultural production less dependent on erratic rainfall, farmers' incomes were expected to be raised and food security augmented. this article, largely excerpted from the Implementation Completion Report no. 19730 describes the project's impact, lists the lessons learned, and underscores the aims of the follow-up project in preparation.