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<p>Amid climate change and low agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), smallholder irrigation is vital for food security, yet it lags with only 7% of cultivated land irrigated compared to 40% globally. In Tanzania, government efforts like budget increments from TZS 46.5&#xa0;billion (2020/2021) to TZS 393.3&#xa0;billion (2024/2025) have expanded infrastructure, but utilization remains low at 2.6%, with irrigation service fee (ISF) collections at 0.5% of targets, highlighting a gap in understanding farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) beyond socioeconomic factors, particularly institutional drivers like governance and trust. This study examines smallholder farmers’ WTP for ISF, identifies determinants, and informs sustainable irrigation policies. Drawing on a survey of 209 farmers across three diverse schemes (traditional Bahi Sokoni in Dodoma, improved Kikavu Chini in Kilimanjaro, and cooperative Dakawa in Morogoro), we analyzed payment practices, WTP levels, and predictors using logistic regression. Findings reveal low compliance: 56.9% did not pay ISF last season, and only 26% are willing to pay the set TZS 50,000 per acre for ongoing operation and maintenance of existing irrigation services, with a mean WTP at TZS 28,000. Variations are scheme-specific, higher in Dakawa due to strong governance. Significant predictors include land ownership (odds ratio 5.384), farming experience (1.110), output sold (1.022), extension access (7.384), IO membership (26.341), and management satisfaction (4.070), while larger land sizes marginally reduce odds (0.873). These findings underscore a critical mismatch between policy expectations and farmers’ realities, driven by governance weaknesses, mistrust, and economic constraints, extending prior studies by prioritizing institutional reforms. Policy recommendations include tiered ISF, IO strengthening, and extension expansion to enhance collections. Future research should explore longitudinal and gender dynamics for broader SSA applicability.</p>

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Understanding smallholder farmers: the price they are willing to pay for irrigation services in Tanzania

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月7日

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  • Hamida Mushi Juma,
  • Moses Ayoub Kusiluka,
  • Hosea Mpogole

摘要

Amid climate change and low agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), smallholder irrigation is vital for food security, yet it lags with only 7% of cultivated land irrigated compared to 40% globally. In Tanzania, government efforts like budget increments from TZS 46.5 billion (2020/2021) to TZS 393.3 billion (2024/2025) have expanded infrastructure, but utilization remains low at 2.6%, with irrigation service fee (ISF) collections at 0.5% of targets, highlighting a gap in understanding farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) beyond socioeconomic factors, particularly institutional drivers like governance and trust. This study examines smallholder farmers’ WTP for ISF, identifies determinants, and informs sustainable irrigation policies. Drawing on a survey of 209 farmers across three diverse schemes (traditional Bahi Sokoni in Dodoma, improved Kikavu Chini in Kilimanjaro, and cooperative Dakawa in Morogoro), we analyzed payment practices, WTP levels, and predictors using logistic regression. Findings reveal low compliance: 56.9% did not pay ISF last season, and only 26% are willing to pay the set TZS 50,000 per acre for ongoing operation and maintenance of existing irrigation services, with a mean WTP at TZS 28,000. Variations are scheme-specific, higher in Dakawa due to strong governance. Significant predictors include land ownership (odds ratio 5.384), farming experience (1.110), output sold (1.022), extension access (7.384), IO membership (26.341), and management satisfaction (4.070), while larger land sizes marginally reduce odds (0.873). These findings underscore a critical mismatch between policy expectations and farmers’ realities, driven by governance weaknesses, mistrust, and economic constraints, extending prior studies by prioritizing institutional reforms. Policy recommendations include tiered ISF, IO strengthening, and extension expansion to enhance collections. Future research should explore longitudinal and gender dynamics for broader SSA applicability.