IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pas/papers/2021-19.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Irrigation inequality, rice farming productivity and food insecurity in rural Cambodia

Author

Listed:
  • Budy P. Resosudarmo
  • Kimlong Chheng

Abstract

This paper investigates the impacts of inequality access to irrigation on rice farming productivity as measured by rice yield and revenue per hectare and on food insecurity among rice farmers in rural Cambodia. Using our own household survey administered in 2014 to 251 rice farming households in 32 rural villages in four provinces, we show that better irrigation access, particularly reservoir, dike, or canal irrigation, provide households with significantly higher rice production and revenue. We also show that productivity of rice farming is significantly and negatively associated with household food insecurity. Hence, developing irrigation networks such as reservoirs, dikes, or canals to reduce irrigation inequality is a key policy option to tackle food insecurity in Cambodia.

Suggested Citation

  • Budy P. Resosudarmo & Kimlong Chheng, 2021. "Irrigation inequality, rice farming productivity and food insecurity in rural Cambodia," Departmental Working Papers 2021-19, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pas:papers:2021-19
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://acde.crawford.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/publication/acde_crawford_anu_edu_au/2021-09/acde_td_resusudarmo_and_chheng_2021_19.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ali, M.H. & Talukder, M.S.U., 2008. "Increasing water productivity in crop production--A synthesis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(11), pages 1201-1213, November.
    2. Cabangon, R. J. & Tuong, T. P. & Abdullah, N. B., 2002. "Comparing water input and water productivity of transplanted and direct-seeded rice production systems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 11-31, September.
    3. Christopher Wokker & Paulo Santos & Ros Bansok, 2014. "Irrigation water productivity in Cambodian rice systems," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(4), pages 421-430, July.
    4. Panda, R. K. & Behera, S. K. & Kashyap, P. S., 2003. "Effective management of irrigation water for wheat under stressed conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 37-56, November.
    5. Huang, Qiuqiong & Dawe, David & Rozelle, Scott & Huang, Jikun & Wang, Jinxia, 2005. "Irrigation, poverty and inequality in rural China," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 49(2), pages 1-17.
    6. Ian Douglas, 2009. "Climate change, flooding and food security in south Asia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 1(2), pages 127-136, June.
    7. Sampath, Rajan K., 1992. "Issues in irrigation pricing in developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 20(7), pages 967-977, July.
    8. Namara, Regassa E. & Hanjra, Munir A. & Castillo, Gina E. & Ravnborg, Helle Munk & Smith, Lawrence & Van Koppen, Barbara, 2010. "Agricultural water management and poverty linkages," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(4), pages 520-527, April.
    9. Zwart, Sander J. & Bastiaanssen, Wim G. M., 2004. "Review of measured crop water productivity values for irrigated wheat, rice, cotton and maize," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 115-133, September.
    10. Kijne, J. W. & Barker, R. & Molden. D., 2003. "Water productivity in agriculture: limits and opportunities for improvement," IWMI Books, Reports H032631, International Water Management Institute.
    11. Rockström, Johan & Karlberg, Louise & Wani, Suhas P. & Barron, Jennie & Hatibu, Nuhu & Oweis, Theib & Bruggeman, Adriana & Farahani, Jalali & Qiang, Zhu, 2010. "Managing water in rainfed agriculture--The need for a paradigm shift," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(4), pages 543-550, April.
    12. von Braun, Joachim & Puetz, Detlev & Webb, Patrick, 1989. "Irrigation technology and commercialization of rice in the Gambia: effects on income and nutrition," Research reports 75, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Kijne, Jacob W. & Barker, Randolph & Molden, David J. (ed.), 2003. "Water productivity in agriculture: limits and opportunities for improvement," IWMI Books, International Water Management Institute, number 138054.
    14. Barrett, Christopher B. (ed.), 2013. "Food Security and Sociopolitical Stability," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199679362.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Xiaolin & Tong, Ling & Niu, Jun & Kang, Shaozhong & Du, Taisheng & Li, Sien & Ding, Risheng, 2017. "Spatio-temporal distribution of irrigation water productivity and its driving factors for cereal crops in Hexi Corridor, Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 55-63.
    2. Ahmad, Mirza Junaid & Iqbal, Muhammad Anjum & Choi, Kyung Sook, 2020. "Climate-driven constraints in sustaining future wheat yield and water productivity," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    3. Bouman, Bas A. M. & Barker, Randolph & Humphreys, E. & Tuong, T. P. & Atlin, G. & Bennett, John & Dawe, D. & Dittert, K. & Dobermann, A. & Facon, Thierry & Fujimoto, N. & Gupta, R. & Haefele, S. & Hos, 2007. "Rice: feeding the billions," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
      • Bouman, B. & Barker, R. & Humphreys, E. & Tuong, T. P. & Atlin, G. & Bennett, J. & Dawe, D. & Dittert, K. & Dobermann, A. & Facon, T. & Fujimoto, N. & Gupta, R. & Haefele, S. & Hosen, Y. & Ismail, A. , 2007. "Rice: feeding the billions," IWMI Books, Reports H040206, International Water Management Institute.
    4. Monaco, Federica & Sali, Guido, 2018. "How water amounts and management options drive Irrigation Water Productivity of rice. A multivariate analysis based on field experiment data," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 47-57.
    5. Yan, Nana & Wu, Bingfang, 2014. "Integrated spatial–temporal analysis of crop water productivity of winter wheat in Hai Basin," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 24-33.
    6. Alauddin, Mohammad & Rashid Sarker, Md. Abdur & Islam, Zeenatul & Tisdell, Clement, 2020. "Adoption of alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation as a water-saving technology in Bangladesh: Economic and environmental considerations," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    7. M. Habibi Davijani & M. E. Banihabib & A. Nadjafzadeh Anvar & S. R. Hashemi, 2016. "Multi-Objective Optimization Model for the Allocation of Water Resources in Arid Regions Based on the Maximization of Socioeconomic Efficiency," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(3), pages 927-946, February.
    8. Poddar, Ratneswar & Acharjee, P.U. & Bhattacharyya, K. & Patra, S.K., 2022. "Effect of irrigation regime and varietal selection on the yield, water productivity, energy indices and economics of rice production in the lower Gangetic Plains of Eastern India," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    9. Immerzeel, W.W. & Gaur, A. & Zwart, S.J., 2008. "Integrating remote sensing and a process-based hydrological model to evaluate water use and productivity in a south Indian catchment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 11-24, January.
    10. Zwart, Sander J. & Bastiaanssen, Wim G. M., 2004. "Review of measured crop water productivity values for irrigated wheat, rice, cotton and maize," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 115-133, September.
    11. Mohammad Alauddin & Upali A. Amarasinghe & Bharat R. Sharma, 2014. "Four decades of rice water productivity in Bangladesh: A spatio-temporal analysis of district level panel data," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 51-64.
    12. Geerts, S. & Raes, D. & Garcia, M., 2010. "Using AquaCrop to derive deficit irrigation schedules," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(1), pages 213-216, December.
    13. Hanjra, Munir A. & Qureshi, M. Ejaz, 2010. "Global water crisis and future food security in an era of climate change," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 365-377, October.
    14. Choudhury, B.U. & Singh, Anil Kumar & Pradhan, S., 2013. "Estimation of crop coefficients of dry-seeded irrigated rice–wheat rotation on raised beds by field water balance method in the Indo-Gangetic plains, India," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 20-31.
    15. María Blanco & Benjamin Van Doorslaer & Wolfgang Britz & Heinz-Peter Witzke, 2012. "Exploring the feasibility of integrating water issues into the CAPRI model," JRC Research Reports JRC77058, Joint Research Centre.
    16. Kumar, M. Dinesh & van Dam, J. C., 2009. "Improving water productivity in agriculture in India: beyond \u2018more crop per drop\u2019," IWMI Books, Reports H042639, International Water Management Institute.
    17. Zwart, Sander J. & Bastiaanssen, Wim G.M. & de Fraiture, Charlotte & Molden, David J., 2010. "WATPRO: A remote sensing based model for mapping water productivity of wheat," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(10), pages 1628-1636, October.
    18. Liu, Junguo & Williams, Jimmy R. & Zehnder, Alexander J.B. & Yang, Hong, 2007. "GEPIC - modelling wheat yield and crop water productivity with high resolution on a global scale," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 478-493, May.
    19. Ignacio Lorite & Margarita García-Vila & María-Ascensión Carmona & Cristina Santos & María-Auxiliadora Soriano, 2012. "Assessment of the Irrigation Advisory Services’ Recommendations and Farmers’ Irrigation Management: A Case Study in Southern Spain," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(8), pages 2397-2419, June.
    20. Mohamed Kharrou & Michel Le Page & Ahmed Chehbouni & Vincent Simonneaux & Salah Er-Raki & Lionel Jarlan & Lahcen Ouzine & Said Khabba & Ghani Chehbouni, 2013. "Assessment of Equity and Adequacy of Water Delivery in Irrigation Systems Using Remote Sensing-Based Indicators in Semi-Arid Region, Morocco," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(13), pages 4697-4714, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    irrigation; inequality; rice farming productivity; food insecurity.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D33 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Factor Income Distribution
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pas:papers:2021-19. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Prema-chandra Athukorala (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/asanuau.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.