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economics of on-farm development - Institute for Social and ...

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The empirical studies <strong>on</strong> th.: ec<strong>on</strong>(1mics .,f !)fD have by <strong>and</strong> large<br />

followed a c<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>al analytical approach underlined by the nco-classical<br />

perspective, c<strong>on</strong>fining mostly to the analysis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the -:osts <strong>and</strong> returns <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> OFD<br />

implementati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> the resultant water use efficien.:} at the system level. While<br />

explaining the c<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>al cost <str<strong>on</strong>g>ec<strong>on</strong>omics</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> OFO. the researchers tend to<br />

ignore various n<strong>on</strong>-ec<strong>on</strong>omic factors as well as the technical. instituti<strong>on</strong>al.<br />

financial <strong>and</strong> other c<strong>on</strong>straints in the process <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> adopti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> OfO. More<br />

importantly, there are growing evidences suggesting that the instituti<strong>on</strong>al Issues<br />

al<strong>on</strong>e could better explain the sub-optimal per<strong>for</strong>mance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems,<br />

These instituti<strong>on</strong>al issues <strong>and</strong> \'arious other operatIOnal c<strong>on</strong>straints interact<br />

simultaneously both at the system level as \\ell as at the <strong>farm</strong> level. Moreover.<br />

the c<strong>on</strong>tradicti<strong>on</strong>s in the mterests <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the stakeholders aiso need to he addressed.<br />

The <strong>farm</strong>ers who an: the maJor stakeholders <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects. are diverse in<br />

terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> resource endowments <strong>and</strong> attitudes, It may, there<strong>for</strong>e be. not easy to<br />

ensure rati<strong>on</strong>al<br />

behaviour am<strong>on</strong>g them to use water ec<strong>on</strong>omically <strong>and</strong><br />

productively <strong>for</strong> a given cropping system. Rati<strong>on</strong>ality being <strong>farm</strong>er/ <strong>farm</strong> as well<br />

as regi<strong>on</strong> specitic. mere provisi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> infrastructure may not by itself<br />

induce <strong>farm</strong>ers to observe rali<strong>on</strong>ality while moving from the existing plane <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

resource allocati<strong>on</strong> (which he c<strong>on</strong>siders optimal) to a higher plane <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> resource<br />

allocati<strong>on</strong>, under the gIven resource endowment.<br />

instituti<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>straints.<br />

. .<br />

SOCIO-ec<strong>on</strong>omlc<br />

<strong>and</strong><br />

The applicati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the above logic c)J' ratlOnalit\ to irrigati<strong>on</strong> induced<br />

agricultural <strong>development</strong>. may kad to the emergence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> two possible scenarios.<br />

One is that the <strong>farm</strong>er c<strong>on</strong>tinues to operate in a sub-optimal c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> resource<br />

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