Socioeconomic Determinants of Drip Irrigation Adoption in Semi-Arid India: Evidence from Sangamner, Maharashtra

Abstract

The Sangamner Block in Ahilyanagar District (formerly Ahmednagar), Maharashtra, India, is a semi-arid region that receives low rainfall and is experiencing declining groundwater levels, exacerbating the vulnerability of farmers. This study employed a cross-sectional survey covering 159 farming households from six villages to examine the socioeconomic factors influencing the adoption of drip irrigation. Binary logistic regression identified education, social group, FPO membership, land size, and age as significant predictors. It shows that lower education, smaller landholdings, scheduled tribe status, and lack of farmer producer organisations (FPOs) membership can significantly reduce the likelihood of drip adoption while age and OBC (social group) status increase it. In contrast, neither gender nor government schemes had a significant effect.