IMPACT OF ADOPTING WATER PUMP TECHNOLOGY ON SMALLHOLDER FARMERS’ INCOME INKERSA MALIMA DISTRICT OF SOUTHWEST SHEWA ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The application of water-saving irrigation technology has great significance for maintaining farmer’s income and the sustainable development of agricultural water resources. However, farmers in Ethiopia face numerous obstacles while attempting to adopt new Water technologies. The purpose of this study was to identify determinants of water pump technology adoption and its impact on smallholders’ income, in Kersa Malima district of Southwest Shewa. Primary and secondary data were collected from the study area by considering various water pump adoption factors. Primary data were gathered using scheduled interview, group discussion, and observation. Two-stage sampling techniques were employed to draw representative samples. The multinomial logit model (ML) was used to study adoption and a multinomial endogenous switching regression model (MESR) was employed to evaluate the impacts of adoption on farmer’s total income. The result of the multinomial logit indicates that education (99% confidence), livestock holding (not significant), cooperative (99% confidence), and technology information (99% confidence) are the explanatory variables that affect adoption significantly and positively. However, distance from market (90% of confidence) and water source (99% of confidence) is the variables that affect the adoption of water pumping technology negatively. The finding of the MERS shows that, if the household head adopter decided to non-adopt of solar powered, diesel powered, or and both solar and water powered water pump, the household total income intake were decreases by 12.36%, 1.86% and 6.97%, respectively. On other if non adopter decided to adopt solar pump, diesel and mix of both solar and diesel power pump, their income will be raised by 31.9%, 19.6% and 25.4% respectively. The result suggests that to boost more stationmaster pumping technology and increase total household income among rural households, concerned bodies should strengthen promoting the adoption of solar water pumping technology.