Abstract
This study was conducted at Arba Minch Zuria Woreda. The area lacks in-depth studies to identify the determinant factors that influence the use of irrigation water. In the study area it is also not well known to what extent the households using irrigation water were better-off than those who depend on rain-fed agriculture. Therefore, the study was focused on assessing the determinants of small-scale irrigation practice and its contribution on household farm income. The total population in the selected three villages stratified in to two strata (irrigation user and non-user). Then systematic sampling method was employed to select the respondents’ household from the population frames of two strata. The descriptive statistics and the binary logistic regression analysis were used for analyzing quantitative data. The results show that sex of respondents’; household size engaged in the agricultural labor force and number of contact of respondents with agricultural development agents per month had significant positive effect on the use of irrigation water at 1% significance level. While education level and attendance on irrigation related training had significant positive effect on the use of irrigation water at 10% significance level. On the other hand, farm distance from the river and the main irrigation canal had significant negative effect on the use of irrigation water at 1% significance level. Out of the total Irrigation user respondents’ household (98.2) have harvested perennial crops more than two times and grown annual crops two times per year from the same farm. While out of the total irrigation non-user respondents’ household depended on only rain fed agriculture (90.7%) have grown annual crops only one time per year from the same farm. Consequently, the independent sample test result showed that the irrigation user respondents’ household obtained significantly larger mean annual gross farm income than irrigation non-user respondents’ household at 1% significance level. Key Words: Irrigation, income, t-test and logistic.
Highlights
IntroductionTransformation of the agriculture sector will be central in Ethiopia’s drive to reach middleincome country status by 2025 (ATA, 2014)
The results show that sex of respondents’; household size engaged in the agricultural labor force and number of contact of respondents with agricultural development agents per month had significant positive effect on the use of irrigation water at 1% significance level
The results show that out of the total irrigation user respondents’ households (93%) have used their irrigation water from rivers while the remaining (7%) have used their irrigation water from ponds
Summary
Transformation of the agriculture sector will be central in Ethiopia’s drive to reach middleincome country status by 2025 (ATA, 2014). Irrigation plays the key role in the performance of agriculture, which increases income from agriculture sector and reduce the risk of crop failure as a result of erratic rainfall. There are four interrelated mechanisms by which irrigated agriculture can improve household income and food security, through: (i) Increasing farm production and productivity that helps very poor households meet the basic needs. (ii) Protecting against risks of crop loss due to erratic, unreliable or insufficient rainwater supplies, (iii) Promoting greater use of yield enhancing farm inputs and (iv) Creation of additional employment (Haile, 2008) quoting (Lipton et al, 2004) There are four interrelated mechanisms by which irrigated agriculture can improve household income and food security, through: (i) Increasing farm production and productivity that helps very poor households meet the basic needs. (ii) Protecting against risks of crop loss due to erratic, unreliable or insufficient rainwater supplies, (iii) Promoting greater use of yield enhancing farm inputs and (iv) Creation of additional employment (Haile, 2008) quoting (Lipton et al, 2004)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
