Early in 1966 the Government of the Somali Republic requested United Nations Special Fund assistance in making feasibility studies of a controlled irrigation scheme and a flood irrigation scheme in the Shebelli Valley and in developing a plan for management of the Shebelli River waters. This request resulted from the recommendation of the 1961 -66 Special Fund Project - Somalia, Agricultural and Water Surveys - that such feasibility studies be undertaken. In response to the Government's request the United Nations Development Programme (1) authorised in June 1966 a project entitled andrdquoWater Control and Management of the Shebelli River, Somaliaandrdquo. The project was assigned to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations as the Executing Agency. The Plan of Operation was signed in September 1967 and this Agency contracted with Hunting Technical Services Ltd. of U. K. to carry out the work for the project. The results of the project investigations are presented in volumes I, II and III of this report. This is Volume II - Balad Flood Irrigation Project Feasibility Report , the others being: Volume I - General Report and Volume III - Afgoi-Mordille Controlled Irrigation Project, Feasibility Report.

Early in 1966 the Government of the Somali Republic requested United Nations Special Fund assistance in making feasibility studies of a controlled irrigation scheme and a flood irrigation scheme in the Shebelli Valley and in developing a plan for management of the Shebelli River waters. This request resulted from the recommendation of the 1961 -66 Special Fund Project - Somalia, Agricultural and Water Surveys - that such feasibility studies be undertaken. In response to the Government's request the United Nations Development Programme (1) authorised in June 1966 a project entitled andrdquoWater Control and Management of the Shebelli River, Somaliaandrdquo. The project was assigned to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations as the Executing Agency. The Plan of Operation was signed in September 1967 and this Agency contracted with Hunting Technical Services Ltd. of U. K. to carry out the work for the project. The results of the project investigations are presented in volumes I, II and III of this report. This is Volume I - General Reportthe others being Volume II - Balad Flood Irrigation, ProjectFeasibility Report and Volume III - Afgoi-Mordille Controlled Irrigation Project, Feasibility Report.

The volume deals with land tenure conditions and agricultural economics in Somalia. A sample of economic returns to agriculture in the project area in 1963 is given, and the typical returns of banana plantations are included in the typical farming returns given for the various regions and sub-regions. The volume concludes with a detailed estimate of the total returns for all the development projects suggested. A revised recommendation for a rural development project for the improvement of traditional agriculture is given in an appendix.

The volume discusses in detail the possibilities of irrigation development on the Shabelle. River. It also examines briefly the possibilities on the Juba river Surface water supplies for human and animal consumption and the possibilities of development for small streams are investigated. An account of the topographical survey and mapping work carried out and extracts from the results of reconnaissance soil survey In the Bulo- Marerta area are included in the volume

This volume presents basic information on the botany and agronomy of tropical dicotyledonous crops In the text proper the crops are given under their plant families, which are arranged in alphabetical order. Similarly, the genera are arranged in alphabetically within the families. This seems to be preferable to group the crops the crops according to the type of commodity they produce, e.g. libre crops, oil seeds, etc.

The volume deals with surface water and groundwater, and investigates the potential groundwater supplies for irrigation and for the use of livestock herdsman and small communities. The text of the volume is abundantly supported with figures, tables and maps and with statistical appendixes

(Extract from introduction text)Nineteen Lanforms are identified, some with subdivisions, in the first part of the volume, and the soils associated with each landform are described and discussed. landforms and soils are then discussed on the basis of the natural regions. The text concludes with a summary and recomendations. Soil profile descriptions, the methods and the results of chemical and physical soil analysis are given in the appendices.