What Affects Drip Irrigation Adoption among Farmers? An Empirical Study of Factors in Rajasthan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25175/jrd/2025/v44/i2/172996Keywords:
Drip Irrigation, Farmers, Adoption, Subsidy.Abstract
The study examines the factors influencing the adoption of drip irrigation among farmers in the arid state of Rajasthan. A comparative framework of analysis is employed by examining the two groups of farmers - drip adopters and non-adopters - to identify the vast array of factors that positively and negatively influence adoption. Primary data were gathered using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire from 80 farmers of Khorabisal and Govindpura villages in Jaipur district. Results indicate that bigger land size, possession of own tubewell, groundwater scarcity in the region, information about drip features, high subsidy, speedy processing by the state, affiliation of the farmer to the dominant caste, and cropping pattern, which includes high valued/wide spaced/perennial/plantation/horticulture crops, push the farmers towards adoption. The paper presents a strong case for the government to address the politico-bureaucratic delays in releasing the annual subsidy guidelines, thereby facilitating the faster diffusion of drip technology in rural Rajasthan.
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