Hydrological and farming system impacts of agricultural water management interventions for sustainable groundwater use in North Gujarat - A paper by Institute for Resource Analysis and Policy

The report by Institute for Resource Analysis and Policy (IRAP) and Society for Integrated Land and Water Management (SOFILWM) presents the findings of a research study undertaken in north Gujarat region, an area which has been undergoing significant changes in its farming systems as a result of several developmental interventions.

The study looked at a project initiated by IWMI and managed by SOFILWM in which water-efficient irrigation devices, water-efficient crops and land management practices were introduced among farmers in an effort to help them cut down groundwater use in irrigated agriculture without adversely affecting the economic prospects of farming.

The research study was undertaken in the project area with the following objectives –

• Study the water demand management interventions being adopted by different categories of farmers such as small/marginal, medium and large farmers in north Gujarat region;
• Analyze the impact of these interventions on the farming system, livelihood patterns, food and nutritional security, poverty and gender division of labour for different categories of farm households;
• Design technological innovations that are economically viable for poor small and marginal farmers of north Gujarat, who are dependent on water purchase; and,
• Analyze the potential impact of the combinations of water demand management interventions for different scales of implementation on agricultural surpluses and groundwater use, and assess their implications for food security, risk and vulnerability of farming communities, and labour absorption.

The data collected was analyzed using several analytical tools for evaluating water saving, crop water productivity, benefit-cost, aggregate farm level and regional water use and income impacts of minor irrigation adoption. This was followed by discussions with several small & marginal farmers, who are buyers of water or shareholders of tube-well companies.

The most important and interesting findings of the study are with regard to: overall changes in farming system, encompassing the cropping pattern; gross cropped area; investments in water-efficient irrigation technologies; irrigation water use, yield, income and water productivity of individual crops; the overall farm-level income; and groundwater use for irrigation at the farm level.

Some of the findings are as follows –

• Minor irrigation system adoption is associated with changes in cropping pattern itself. Several of the traditional cereal crops were replaced by cash crops amenable to minor irrigation systems.
• Hence, benefit cost analysis of minor irrigation systems based on input-output data for individual crops has limited practical and policy relevance. While in the immediate term, negative impact of these changes on domestic food security is imminent, in the medium and long term, large-scale minor irrigation adoption will have significant impact on regional food security.
• While the irrigation water use rates for individual crops reduced, the aggregate cropped area also reduced. The yield of most crops increased due to minor irrigation adoption, and so is the net income from crop production.
• There has been substantial increase in water productivity of individual crops, in both physical and economic terms.
• Adoption of minor irrigation systems with newly-introduced cash crops and fruits had resulted in remarkable increase in the farm income of adopters. In spite of all these, at the aggregate level, the groundwater use for irrigation reduced significantly.

As a part of the project the researchers designed a system that would enable water buyers to use minor irrigation devices for irrigating their crops using purchased groundwater. The system consists of a storage tank, tank lining using HDPE and bricks, a 2-HP electric pump set and drip and micro sprinkler sets covering a total irrigated area of 0.50 ha in two seasons.

Economic simulation showed that a water buyer farmer can profitably cultivate five crops, viz., castor, groundnut, fennel, potato and chilli in combination in a net area of 0.40ha (i.e., one acre) and secure a stable extra income of Rs.11800, annually. This also means that the farmers have to show greater risk taking ability, as these crops often pose a lot of risk from the point of view of both production and marketing.

These risks need to be covered through proper institutional interventions of agricultural extension and provision of processing and marketing infrastructure.

The paper can be downloaded below -