Economics of Sugarcane and Banana Cultivation under Drip Irrigation System: A Case Study of Northern Maharashtra

Abstract

Efficient development with proper management of the scarce water resources is the key determinants for achieving food security not only for India, but for the entire world. Drip method of irrigation act as the facilitating factors in achieving water saving in irrigation, better quality products, increased water use efficiency, decreased tillage requirement, increased yield of the crop with higher fertilizer use efficiency and investment in drip technologies are also cost effective, with short payback periods. This paper has analyzed and assessed the costs and returns associated with adoption of drip irrigation system under drip irrigation system. The result reveals that cropping intensity is highest among marginal farmers (183.7%) followed by small (164%) and others (116.7%) with an overall cropping intensity of 127.9 per cent. The average gross cropped area was high for large farmers (5.56 ha) followed by small (2.76 ha) and marginal holdings (1.43 ha) as per the expectation. Cropping intensity of non-drip farmers was found to be higher than drip farmers (145%). For both the crops, water consumption was higher in flooding than in drip and yield realization was more in drip method of irrigation. Water consumption in sugarcane was 2339 m3/ha under drip and 3780 m3/ha under flood irrigation. On the other hand, yield realization was 1186 q/ha under drip and only 811 q/ha under flood irrigation. Banana crop also consumed less water and produced more yield under drip irrigation over flood irrigation. Adoption of drip saved 26.43 per cent of water used under flood irrigation and increased yield by 46.3 per cent in sugarcane. Similarly, in banana cultivation, 46.4 per cent of water was saved and yield was increased by 16.75 per cent due to use of drip irrigation.