Impact of Irrigation on Agriculture Productivity: Evidence from Sri Lanka

International Journal of Agriculture & Environmental Science

© 2021 by SSRG - IJAES Journal

Volume 8 Issue 3

Year of Publication : 2021

Authors : Priyanga Dunusinghe

10.14445/23942568/IJAES-V8I3P102

How to Cite?

Priyanga Dunusinghe, "Impact of Irrigation on Agriculture Productivity: Evidence from Sri Lanka," SSRG International Journal of Agriculture & Environmental Science, vol. 8,  no. 3, pp. 8-14, 2021. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942568/IJAES-V8I3P102

Abstract:

Asian countries have invested heavily on irrigation projects, partly because its food staple crop, rice, needs a sizable amount of water. Sri Lanka has a long history in irrigation activities, and it embarked on a number of major irrigation projects during the post-independent period. Most of such projects were financed through external borrowings. However, impact of irrigation on agricultural productivity has limitedy been investigate in Sri lanka, and the existing studies also focused on crop productivity differential in tank-specific locations. Addressing this research gap, present study aims at investigating the irrigation-productivity nexus for the study period of 2007-2019. Speficically, by employing a multiple regression framework, this study examined the impact of irrigation on selected agricultural crops, namely Paddy and Maize. Data for the study were extracted from secondary sources published by the Department of Agriculture. Our findings indicate that there is a strong positive relationship between irrigation and crop productivity. For instance, crop productivity in irrigated areas is around 30-40 per cent higher compared to that of in the rain-fed areas. The findings imply that irrigation contributed, among others things, to sustainable development via reducing the need for additional lands for aheivving domestic demand for foods.

Keywords:

Irrigation, Agriculture, Productivity, Paddy, Maize, Sri Lanka.

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