Factors Affecting Adoption of Small Scale Irrigation Technology: Insights from Sire Woreda, Oromiya Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Adoption of small scale irrigation technology had unprecedented advantage for smallholder farmer to reduce poverty. It increases use of available water sources to get higher income and improves the livelihood of farmers. Improvement of livelihood of smallholder farmers has ample contribution to the development of the country’s economy. With high potential demand to these technologies, still there are number of problems in selection for agricultural production improvements. Therefore, our study with the objective of exploring factors affecting adoption of small scale irrigation technology (SSIT) and existing constraints in the study area had used qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Binary logistic regression model was applied to analyze direct survey of farmers SSIT adoption. Analysis result revealed that six factors were significantly and directionally affects the adoption of small-scale irrigation technology. Age and lack of credit institution are negatively significant whereas awareness, access to water, government promotion, and total income of household affects positively. Qualitative findings show that conflict between members of Farmers Irrigation Water Use Association (FIWUA), unavailability and lack of access to spare parts, topography of the district, irrigation technology technician, and lack of skill were among the constraining factors found to hinder small scale irrigation technology adoption and use. We found the fact that FIWUA act as facilitating medium in adoption and extension of small scale irrigation technology and the presence of association could be taken as opportunities available for small scale irrigation technology adoption enhancement. Overall, our findings revealed that small scale irrigation technologies are highly beneficial, and seen to have impact on the livelihood of farmers, so that the government and partner of the government working on rural livelihood improvement should have to take into account on improving farmers’ awareness and education on SSIT adoption through training and promotion in most parts of Ethiopia.