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Impacts of small-scale irrigation on rural households’ income in north eastern Ethiopia

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Abstract

Irrigation is one means by which agricultural production can be increased to meet the growing food demand in Ethiopia. Small-scale irrigation is becoming the main mechanism in livelihood enhancement discourse especially in recent times when the rainfall pattern is becoming erratic in the country. Small-scale irrigation is a policy priority in Ethiopia for rural poverty alleviation and growth, as well as climate adaptation. The aim of the study is to examine the effect of small-scale irrigation on income of rural household in the North Eastern Ethiopia. The study used Taro proportional sampling techniques formula to get 200 sampling respondents of irrigation and non-irrigation users. Econometric model such as Propensity Score Matching method and binary logistic regression model were used to study the specific objectives, impact of use of small-scale irrigation on households’ income and determinants of smallholder farmers’ decision to participate in small-scale irrigation water use, respectively. The Propensity Score Matching model using logit estimate indicated that family size, credit access and subsidy with productive safety net program were found positive significant effect. The logit model discovered that sex, livestock holding size, dwelling distance from irrigation farm, and subsidy by productive safety net programme and credit access have determinant effect on decision participation in small-scale irrigation. Therefore, attention should be given by the government in expanding of modern irrigation practice and constructing improved storage house should be given priorities.

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Availability of data and materials

The authors want to declare that he can submit the data at whatever time based on your request. The data sets used and/or analysed during the current study will be available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

AP:

Area program

CSA:

Central Statistical Authority

FAO:

Food and Agricultural Organization

GOs:

Government Organizations

IFAD:

International Fund for Agricultural Development

IWMI:

International Water Management Institute

KAs:

Kebele Administrations

MoFED:

Ministry of Finance and Economic Development

MoA:

Ministry of Agriculture

MDGs:

Millennium development goals: NGOs: Non-Governmental Organizations

SSI:

Small-scale irrigation

SPSS:

Statistical Package for Social Scientist

TLU:

Tropical Livestock unit

WFP:

World Food Program

WVE:

World Vision Ethiopia

UN:

United Nation

USAID:

United States Agency for International Development

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Acknowledgements

We extend my profound appreciation to North Wollo Zone Agricultural Department, Raya Kobo Woreda Agricultural office for giving me important information. I also would like to thank all of the enumerators who assisted me in data collection with patience, commitment and dedication. Last but not least, all participating farmers on the study deserve my deepest appreciation for their unreserved collaboration and for the good working environment during the data collection. Finally, I would like to acknowledge all individuals and organizations that directly or indirectly contributed to the successful completion of this study.

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MA and MD initiated the research, wrote the research proposal, conducted the research, did data entry and analysis and wrote the manuscript. MA and MD were did analysis, methodology, writing, reviewing and editing of research proposal and manuscript. MA and MD read and approved the final manuscript. The authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Moges Dessale.

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The author declares that he has no competing interests.

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Not applicable since the study involved irrigation facilities.

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Alemu, M., Dessale, M. Impacts of small-scale irrigation on rural households’ income in north eastern Ethiopia. Sustain. Water Resour. Manag. 8, 15 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-021-00600-1

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