Search Filter

Keywords:

 

Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

A Study on the Constraints to Irrigation Payments in Davao del Norte: Focus on National Irrigation System

(Philippines), Master of Science in Agricultural Economics (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Thesis Abstract:

This study was conducted to identify the factors and the extent to which each factor affects delinquency in irrigation payments of the farmer irrigators of the Lasang Irrigation System in Carmen, Davao, Philippines. It attempted to recognize the differences between delinquent and non-delinquent irrigators.

Data gathered were examined to identify relevant relationships between the probability of the farmers' decision not to pay and some selected attributes. A simple comparison of means using the z-test was employed to determine differences between delinquent and non-delinquent farmer irrigators for selected socioeconomic attributes. Multiple linear regression moedls were used to identify factors that affect delinquency and the extent to which each variable affects the problem. The effects of socioeconomic, administrative, institutional, attitudinal, and locational factors on the probability of the farmers choosing not to pay the irrigation fee were qualified using the logic regression model.

One hundred and sixty-three farmer irrigators were randomly selected from the total population covered by the Lasang Irrigation System. One hundred and six non-delinquent and 57 delinquent respondents were surveyed.

Using the z-test, it was observed that significant differences existed between the delinquent and non-delinquent farmer irrigators, particularly in the value of assets owned and outstanding load, household sizem and net farm income.

based on the multiple linear regression analyses, the major factor affecting irrigation payments were farming experience, a dummy variable capturing farmers' aittutde toward the chances of the irrigation services of the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) being improved when they paid regularly, value of assets and outstanding loan, and average household expenditures. The probability of the farmer deciding not to pay was significantly affected by the dummy variable capturing the effect of farmers' attitude towards the chances of delinquent farmers being penalized, values of assets owned, education, household size, and value of outstanding loan. The sensitivity analysis highlighted the importance of the value of assets owned, which implied that the probability of the farmers' decision not to pay irrigation fee will change as a response to a change in the value of assets owned.