Comparative Economics of Groundnut Cultivation under Sprinkler and Conventional Irrigation Methods

The research explores the economic and resource use patterns of groundnut cultivation among farmers adopting and not adopting sprinkler irrigation in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha, Mehsana, and Patan districts. A total of 99 adopters and 105 non-adopters were selected through a multistage sampling method, wherein blocks and villages were chosen based on the concentration of adopters, and withing the villages farmers were randomly sampled. The study revealed that farmers who adopted sprinkler irrigation incurred lower labour costs and achieved higher yields compared to non-adopters. The resource use pattern revealed that seed, machinery cost and labour cost were major contributors to total cost across both the categories. The returns over variable cost (ROVC) were ₹77,681.83 per hectare for adopter and ₹69415.26 per hectare for non-adopter for all three districts. The benefit-cost ratios were 1.85 for adopter and 1.73 for non-adopter for all three districts. These findings display that adopter achieved higher profitability in groundnut cultivation. The payback period for investment in sprinkler irrigation ranged from 2 to 3 years, compared to its 10-year operational lifespan across all districts. Regression analysis using the power function showed that seed, fertilizer, pesticide, and machinery costs significantly influenced output for adopters, while fertilizer, machinery, and labour costs were key factors for non-adopters. This suggests underutilization of these inputs, indicating potential for increased usage to enhance returns. The study concludes that adopting sprinkler irrigation improves yield and boosts profitability in groundnut cultivation. It recommends strengthening efforts to promote micro-irrigation through training, subsidy awareness, and demonstrations.