DETERMINANTS OF SMALL SCALE IRRIGATION ON SMALL HOLDER FARMERS LIVELIHOODS: THE CASE OF TIBILA INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT IRRIGATION PROJECT IN ARSI ZONE, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Ethiopian agriculture is highly dominated by traditional and rain-fed small-scale farmers. The government is working on irrigation development giving special emphasis to small scale irrigation at different scales. The study aimed to examine the Determinants of Small Scale Irrigation on Small holder Farmers livelihoods in two adjacent woreda of Jeju, and Sire. The study employed mixed method. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select the respondents from small scale irrigation user and non-user households. Quantitative data for the study were collected from randomly selected 258 farm households were 104 users and 154 non-users. Secondary data were collected from different sources. Both descriptive statistics and econometric model were used for analyzing quantitative data of the study. Twelve variables were that determine households’ probability of participation in irrigation use and seven of them were found significant. The result revealed that education level, age of household as well as number of oxen owned positively and significantly determined participation decision of the farmers in the small-scale irrigation, land holding size, extension service, distance from market, farming experience and participation in non-farm activities were negatively and significantly determined the practice of small-scale irrigation. Moreover, different constraints related with lack of access to market, distance of land from water source, inadequate government support, and poor or nonexistent market linkage, poor irrigation water management and development were forwarded by the participants. To solve the problems and improve small-scale irrigation participation, the government, especially irrigation development office of woreda attempt to factors that hinder participation in small-scale irrigation and enhance a factor that initiates participation in small-scale irrigation identified in the study area.