Water-saving and Economic Gains of Micro Irrigation Adoption Scheme “Per Drop More Crop”: A Case of Sugarcane, Banana and Cotton Cultivation in Maharashtra

"Paper estimates the savings in water, electricity, and economic gains of the micro irrigation adoption scheme “Per Drop More Crop” of the Government of India for the cultivation of three crops, namely, sugarcane, banana, and cotton in selected districts of Maharashtra (India). The before-after comparison method is adopted using the data collected from the pre-tested interview schedules from 116 drip irrigation adopters in Maharashtra. Results indicate that after drip irrigation adoption, farmers experienced higher yields, profits and saved water across the three crops. The per hectare yield of banana, sugarcane, and cotton increased by 73%, 36%, and 80%, respectively. After adopting drip irrigation, the power usage for irrigation per hectare was approximately half for banana and sugarcane and 86% for cotton. With drip irrigation, farmers could grow the sample crops with higher intensity. Thus, overall power consumption for irrigation for banana cultivators increased by 20%, while for sugarcane and cotton it was still lower. The benefit-cost ratio indicated that the drip investment for all three crops is economically viable with and without subsidy. Interaction with farmers reveals that marginal and small farmers need financial assistance to deal with the increasing cost of cultivation. Thus, the government must continue to promote the usage of drip technology through extension services as well as provide the subsidy."