Abstract:
The aim of the study was to assess the role of small scale irrigation scheme on household
food security in Machakle woreda, Amhara Region, as well as to assess the factors that
affect household food security.
The major tool of enquiry in this study was questionnaire which was used to collect data
from] 21 households that had access to Jedeb irrigation scheme and those that had no
access to the scheme in 2008109 in Yewelana Akababiw Kebele. Demographic
characteristics and resource of households as well as agricultural production and
marketing of agricultural produce were collected using structured questionnaires with the
help of locally recruited and trained enumerators. The collected data was analyzed using
the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 12).
The findings of this study showed that farmers who have plot on the irrigation scheme
were in better condition in terms of crop production, livestock holding, oxen ownership,
and income than their partners with no plot on the scheme in 2008109. The study also
shows that 17. 54 % and 40. 62 % of irrigation users and non users were found to be food
insecure respectively. Moreover the study highlighted that age, household size, offfarm
activity access to irrigation, credit, extension service, farm size, livestock holding, and
oxen ownership were significantly related to household food security. The regression
analysis shows that access to irrigation, farm size, house hold size, livestock holding, as
well as oxen ownership were the major determinants of household food security in the
study area.
Access to small scale irrigation enabled the sample households to grow crops more than
once a year; to ensure increased and stable production, income; and improve their food
security status. The study concludes that small-scale irrigation significantly contributed
to household food security
