FACTORS AFFECTING USE OF SMALL-SCALE IRRIGATION ON HOUSEHOLD LEVEL IN THE AFAR REGIONAL STATE AMIBERA WOREDA: IN CASE OF MELKA WERER KEBELE

Abstract

Irrigation as an agricultural intensification plays significant role in increasing agricultural production and harvest. This study scrutinized the factors influencing the use of small-scale irrigation at the household level. In this study multi-stage sampling techniques were used to select 150 target respondents in which 90 irrigation users and 60 non-irrigation user. The determined sample size of the study was 376 households (226 non-irrigation users, which are the control group and 150 irrigation users, which are the treated group) were selected to participate in the study. The researcher used both quantitative and qualitative data collected through a questionnaire. To analyze the data descriptive analysis and propensity score matching were used to evaluate the effect of irrigation on household food security. They found that factors such as family size, education level of the household head, access to extension services, and access to fertilizer positively influenced the adoption of small-scale irrigation. Livestock holding, number of dependents, and age of the household head had a negative relationship with irrigation use. Overall the study finding indicates that small scale irrigation practices in the study area have made marks on the economic development of the participants. Therefore, supporting and encouraging the use of small scale irrigation, strengthening the extension services, and encouraging farmers engaged in small scale irrigation is recommended.