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

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<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> allocati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> applicati<strong>on</strong> efficiency. According to the <strong>farm</strong>ers, MCS is a<br />

sound system enabling better utilisati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water. For instance, 18 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

<strong>farm</strong>ers reveal that MCS is useful to reduce <strong>on</strong>ly c<strong>on</strong>veyance losses <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water.<br />

L<strong>and</strong> saving as an important advantage has been highlighted by 22 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

<strong>farm</strong>ers. In fact, in the absence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> MCS. the l<strong>and</strong> would have g<strong>on</strong>e <strong>for</strong><br />

c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> open canals. About 25 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <strong>farm</strong>ers think that MCS is<br />

more ec<strong>on</strong>omical than the open canal c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong>. The underst<strong>and</strong>ing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the l<strong>and</strong><br />

saving dimensi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the MCS by the <strong>farm</strong>ers is equally important where majority<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the holdings are small <strong>and</strong> marginal. The proporti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>farm</strong>ers reporting this<br />

benefit is more in the middle reaches (25 %), compared to 22 per cent in the head<br />

reaches <strong>and</strong> 21 per cent in the tail end. Thus. the MeS. in a way. is l<strong>and</strong>-saving<br />

<strong>and</strong> water-augmenting technology. as there will be no c<strong>on</strong>veyance losses <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

water.<br />

Farmers in Kallada project felt that the MCS network provided <strong>for</strong> <strong>on</strong><strong>farm</strong><br />

water distributi<strong>on</strong> do not warrant any investment <strong>for</strong> l<strong>and</strong> <strong>development</strong>. For,<br />

the tree crops are irrigated through flexible hose pipes <strong>and</strong> there<strong>for</strong>e, no l<strong>and</strong><br />

levelling is required. Sixteen per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <strong>farm</strong>ers have indicated the reas<strong>on</strong>s<br />

such as lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> finance, lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>necting field channels <strong>and</strong> existence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rubber<br />

plantati<strong>on</strong>s as the reas<strong>on</strong>s <strong>for</strong> not adopting OFD works, in spite <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> having MeS.<br />

Twenty three per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <strong>farm</strong>ers did not go <strong>for</strong> OFD due to lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> field<br />

channels, c<strong>on</strong>necting their plots to the distributory or minor. This appears to be<br />

strange, because, unless field channels are provided to the plots. it would be<br />

difficult <strong>for</strong> a <strong>farm</strong>er to use water from the distributory canal. Since the <strong>farm</strong>ers<br />

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