Comparative Performance Assessment of two Small Scale Irrigation Scheme in West Harerghe

Abstract

This research was conducted to assess and compare the performance of two small scale irrigation schemes by using comparative indicator andto determine the level of performances of the schemes and identify performance gaps and improvement measures. This was done by selecting two irrigation schemes in the West Harerghe: Homacho sogido and Jawis irrigation scheme due to the availability of data. Based on the collected primary and secondary data seven (7) comparative indicators from the nine indicators indicated by IWMI and three physical indicators were selected for this study. The collected data are measurement of canal capacity, total yields, farm gate prices of irrigated crops, area irrigated per crop per season, crop types, production per season or per year, cropping pattern, irrigable land, currently irrigated land and initially irrigated land. The indicators used are irrigation ratio, cropping intensity, sustainability of irrigated land, output per cropped area, output per command area, and output per irrigation diverted, output per water consumed, relative water supply, relative irrigation supply, and water delivery capacity. The major crops grown in both schemes are Chat, Cabbage, Sorghum, Maize, Tomato, Soybean and Onion. The result of the analysis express that irrigation ratio, cropping intensity and sustainability of irrigated land of Jawis scheme is 100%, 146% and 100% respectively and for Homacho sogido scheme is 100%, 159% and 119% respectively. The ratio of ARWS, ARIS and WDC for jawis scheme are 1.01, 3.83 and 1.9, for Homacho sogido scheme are 1.3, 3.96 and 3.33. The four agricultural indicators; output per cropped area, output per command area, output per water consumed and output per unit water supply are in the order of 16843.4 birr/ha, 19730.86 birr/ha, 2.23 birr/m3, 4.24birr/m3and 24304.5birr/ha, 38692.8 birr/ha, 3.29birr/m3 and 4.28birr/m3 for Jawis and Homacho sogido, respectively. The result obtained shows that irrigated areas at Jawis was found to be neither contracting nor expanding while it was expanding at Homacho due to more land productivity and water delivery capacity of the canal to the irrigated area as compared to Jawis scheme. Excessive annual irrigation water was supplied in both scheme due to lack of knowledge on water diversion by farmer based on crop water demand. This can be improved through training of farmer to balance crop water demand and water diversion. Homacho irrigation scheme could be benchmarked in the zone for water productivity and land productivity.