IMPACT OF IRRIGATION ON CROPPING PATTERN, FARM INCOME AND HUMAN LABOR EMPLOYMENT IN SOFI DISTRICT OF HARARI REGION, ETHIPIA

In Ethiopia about 93 percent of cultivated area is rain fed and crop production primarily depends on rainfall. Present study was conducted in rain fed Sofi-District of Harari Region. The objectives of the study were to identify factors affecting participation of farmers in irrigation scheme and impact of irrigation on cropping pattern, farm income and human labor employment. The study was based on 260 sample house holds (130 participants in irrigation schemes and 130 non-participants). Descriptive Statistics, Logistic Regression Model and Propensity Score Matching Methods were employed to accomplish the objectives of the study. Sex of households, Education level of households’ head, Size of households, Number of Live stocks in Tropical Units, Number of Family members available for farm works and Distance of irrigated plot from source of irrigation were factors affecting participation in irrigation scheme. The cropping intensity on irrigated and un-irrigated farms were 191.21 and 100 percent respectively. On irrigated farms, high value vegetable crops and on un-irrigated farms traditional cereal and other crops grown. The net returns per hectare of cropped area on irrigated and un-irrigated farms were Birr 24777 and 16820 respectively. Human labor employments per hectare of cropped area on irrigated and un-irrigated farms were 146 and 100 days respectively. Easier policies need to be framed for facilitating participation by large number of farmers in irrigation schemes. Along with expansion of irrigation schemes, availability of improved farm inputs like fertilizers, high yielding varieties of crops, credit on easy terms, plant protection chemicals etc. should be made available by opening sales point in rural areas along with development of transportation and marketing facilities for farm products.