Drivers of irrigation technology adoption and impact on maize productivity among smallholder farmers in Mozambique

Abstract

Irrigation stands as a cornerstone of agriculture that can improve crop productivity supporting food security, and poverty alleviation, especially against surging populations and shifting climates. However, the diffusion of irrigation technologies among small-scale cultivators in Mozambique is very low, swayed by factors that affect the farmers’ capacity to implement them. This research analyzed the on-farm, socio-economic and institutional drivers of irrigation technology uptake and impact on maize productivity among smallholder farmers in Mozambique. Using secondary data from the 2023 Agricultural and Livestock Survey (IAI 2023), the study used Logit regression model to establish the key drivers of irrigation uptake, while propensity score matching (PSM) via nearest-neighbor estimation quantified the causal effect of adoption on productivity. Results revealed 20% maize farmers in Mozambique adopted irrigation technology, where majority 25.1% of these adopters were located in Maputo province, 6% in Gaza and 8% in Inhambane province. Household size, education, extension access, size of the farm, credit access and location positively influence the probability of irrigation technology adoption. On the other hand, off -farm income negatively influenced the decision to take up irrigation. The average treatment effect estimated on the treated (ATE) demonstrated that irrigation adoption increased maize productivity for the adopters of irrigation technology by 590.41kg/ha. The findings reaffirm irrigation’s contribution to food security and improving household income, and offers insights for policy formulation. Further, there is need to improve credit access by the government and redesign credit schemes that tailor agricultural credit products