Impact of Public Investment on Small-Scale Irrigation and the Welfare of Farmer Households in the Saline Zone in West Bengal, India

Abstract

Irrigation plays an important role in improving smallholder agricultural production and/or productivity, household food security and rural poverty reduction in the developing countries. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of irrigation access on household welfare (measured in terms of household expenditure) in the saline zone in West Bengal, India. A total of 440 farming households were interviewed and the data were analysed using the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method. The study results indicated that irrigation access has a significant positive impact on improving household welfare The paper concludes that the government’s investment on the renovation of water bodies is justified. The paper suggests for complementary support services and rural development projects for reduction of rural poverty.