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

Sangamner block in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India, is a semi-arid region receiving only 500 – 750 mm of annual rainfall. Heavy reliance on agriculture, coupled with steadily declining groundwater levels, heightens farmers’ climate vulnerability. Drip irrigation, a climate-resilient technology, is increasingly adopted in response.

This study employed a cross-sectional survey conducted in July 2024, covering 159 farming households from six villages (Kawthe Malkapur, Kolwade, Kumbharwadi, Pimpalgaon Depa, Shendewadi, and Warwandi). Structured interviews captured data for the 2023–2024 agricultural year, including household demographics, institutional support, government-scheme access, and crop production.

Binary logistic regression identified education, social group, FPO membership, land size, and age as significant predictors. Farmers with low and medium education levels are 84% (OR = 0.16, p = 0.017) and 74% (OR = 0.26, p = 0.035) less likely to adopt drip irrigation compared to highly educated farmers. Social group-wise, Other Backward Class (OBC) farmers are four times more likely to adopt drip irrigation than Scheduled Tribe farmers (OR = 4.037, p = 0.004). Each additional acre of land and each extra year in age raised adoption odds by 14.5% (p = 0.015) and 4% (p = 0.046), respectively. Lastly, Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) membership was the strongest driver, with non-members being 87% less likely to adopt drip irrigation (OR = 0.126, p < 0.001). Conversely, gender and government schemes, including Kisan Credit Cards, Soil Health Cards, and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, showed no significant relationship.

Descriptive analysis revealed that traditional climate-resilient cereals (bajra, jowar) achieved stable yields across all irrigation types, whereas high-value, water-sensitive crops like onion and tomato yielded 8 to 50 times higher yields under drip systems.

These findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions and FPO-based extension programs to accelerate drip adoption, particularly focusing on marginalized communities and less-educated farmers to strengthen climate resilience in water-stressed regions.