Abstract:
Agricultural production in Ethiopia is mostly dependent on seasonal rainfall. This has
made the agriculture-based economy of the country extremely vulnerable to the
influences of climatic change. Therefore this study was conducted to assess the use of
small-scale irrigation and its contribution to household farm income in Tercha Zuria
Woreda. In order to achieve the objective of the study employed, Amulti-stage sampling
techniques were used. The Primary data were collected from 321 sample households
selected by using a simple random sampling method, while the secondary data were
collected from different documents. Data analysis by both descriptive statistics and
inferential statistics were applied for analyzing the collected data. In addition
econometric models such as Binary Logistic and multiple linear regression model were
adopted, the result of the descriptive statistical analysis showed that out of the total
irrigation user respondents (115), 22.61% access water through the traditional river,
46.96% through concrete canal river diversion mechanism, 4.35% through a hand pump,
9.56% through the motorized water pump and 16.52% uses shallow, constructed well and
hand-dug bucket. The binary logistic regression analyze showed that household size,
educational level, land holding size, training on irrigation, and credit access, had
significant and positive effect on the use of irrigation water at p<0.05 significantly,
however age of household head and distance from the water source had significant and
negative effects on the use of irrigation water at p<0.05 significant. Average total
household income shows that use in small scale irrigation increased mean household
income by 7297.65 ETB non-use households. The multiple linear regressions model
analyze showed that participation in irrigation, age of household head, education level,
total livestock ownership, are significant and positive effect on household total annual
farm income at p<0.05 significant, The distance from the water had significant and
negative effect household total annual farm income at p<0.05 significant. Based on the
current findings it can be concluded that the use of small-scale irrigation is one of the
vital solutions to improve the household income and living standard in the study area.
From the current findings, it can be recommended that governmental and non governmental organizations should expand access to small-scale irrigation to the
cultivable lands of small households to increase crop productivity and improve their farm
income.
