The Effect of Livestock Holdings on Small‐Scale Irrigation Participation in Ethiopia: A Meta‐Analysis

In Ethiopia, agriculture is the foundation of the economy, and livestock is a key component in this sector, ranking first in Africa in terms of livestock population. However, the effect of livestock holdings on small‐scale irrigation (SSI) participation is a controversial issue due to the existence of inconsistent research findings. To evaluate the overall effect, a meta‐analysis was designed through a systematic search of 26 studies conducted in four study regions of the country, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses (PRISMA) guideline. The inconsistency indices ( τ 2 ), Cochran’s Q test, I 2 , and H 2 statistics were used to estimate the heterogeneity across the primary studies. The results of the random‐effects model indicated that larger livestock holdings positively influence participation in SSI by 0.27 units with a 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.08, 0.45]. Furthermore, the meta‐regression result revealed that age, male household head, credit access, and distance from the irrigation site are important covariates that determine heterogeneity in the effect of livestock holdings on SSI participation. Therefore, integrating livestock holdings with SSI is an important strategy to improve agricultural production and productivity of smallholder farmers and reduce the negative effect of livestock holdings on SSI participation. Besides, to increase the rate of SSI participation, the government must take into account factors such as livestock holdings, the site of SSI schemes, and the features of land used by smallholder farmers during the design of irrigation development policy.