Irrigation management transfer: farmers’ willingness to pay for operation and maintenance of selected improved smallholder irrigation schemes in Mbeya, Tanzania
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Date
2019
Authors
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
The Irrigation Management Transfer reforms across the world have been focusing on
gradual shift from government toward farmers. The motive behind these reforms is to
increase efficiency, financial sustainability, and reduce public financial burden while
making farmers responsible for financing Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs.
The Willingness to Pay (WTP) for O&M costs is important for sustainability of
improved smallholder irrigation schemes. Unfortunately, since the beginning of the
implementation of IMT reforms in Tanzania, none has conducted a study to assess
farmers‘ WTP for O&M costs. This study was therefore conducted in Mbeya urban
and Mbarali districts to assess farmers‘ WTP for O&M costs and to assess
profitability and challenges facing farmers in improved smallholder irrigation
schemes. Primary data were collected from 301 randomly selected farmers from four
improved irrigation schemes. Results show that farmers were willing to pay on
average 45 000 TAS per acre per year. Further, the logistic regression results show
that, the determinants of WTP were education level, sex of household head,
awareness and perception on IMT reforms. In addition, access to credit, extension
services and crop income influenced WTP positively and significantly. Thus,
intervention made with a focus on the determinants of WTP will enhance the
sustainability of irrigation schemes through farmers‘ payments. Moreover, gross
margin results indicated that farmers were practicing profitable farming with a gross
margin averaged at 812 126 TAS per acre while the highest and the lowest margin
was 1 827 095 TAS and 273 143 TAS for onions and maize respectively.
Accessibility of agricultural extension services, marketing, post-harvest handling and
management of the schemes were challenges facing farmers. The study recommended that, continued sensitization on the rationale of IMT reforms,
encouraging farmers to produce ―more profitable crops‖ such as onions and
tomatoes, provision of agricultural extension and credit services, and enforcement of
a by-law mandating farmers to become members of irrigator associations are
important matters to be addressed. Lastly, marketing related challenges, including
poorly organized agricultural marketing, use of unstandardized weighing scales, poor
post-harvest handling especially for onions, need to be addressed through
collaborative efforts of both government and farmers.
Description
PhD Thesis 2019
Keywords
Irrigation management transfer, Farmers’ willingness, Improved smallholder irrigation schemes, Mbeya, Tanzania