Groundwater Use Efficiency of Micro Irrigation System in Jaffna Peninsula

Abstract

Besides being used for drinking, a large portion of fresh water is exhausted by way of irrigation. By adopting modern technology in irrigation, the squandering of fresh water in agriculture could be greatly minimized. Considering the peninsular Jaffna, unlike the rest of the dry zone it is solely dependent on groundwater and rain which recharges the groundwater and helps out with cultivation. The traditional irrigation methods carried out in the peninsula involve a great loss of water. Hence this research was carried out with the intention of assessing the economics of sprinkler irrigation against traditional basin irrigation for chilli in the Jaffna peninsula. Primary data were collected by a questionnaire survey within the framework of purposive random sampling technique. The sample consisted a total of 150 respondents and half of it belongs to traditional basin and the other half belongs to sprinkler. A stochastic frontier analysis was performed to obtain the technical efficiency of both irrigation systems. In addition, allocative efficiency and irrigation efficiency were also estimated. In comparison, the mean technical efficiency of the sprinkler is 99% as against basin at 62%. But for both systems, mean allocative efficiency was found to be less than one that is 0.145 for basin and 0.386 for sprinkler. This indicates that farmers are over utilizing groundwater for irrigation. Finally, a higher mean irrigation efficiency of 0.43 was estimated for the sprinkler and only 0.13 was estimated for the basin. This is suggesting that all chilli farmers are operating below the recommended physical water requirement and therefore technical level of output is lower than maximum. The frontier analysis indicates that comparatively sprinkler irrigation is more effective, advantageous and efficient than basin irrigation in all respects and at all times. From this fact, researchers recommend the use of sprinkler be extended to as many farmers as possible in the region.