An Economic Study on the Impact of Soil Improvement and Conservation Programs on Summer Maize Production in Dakahlia Governorate

All Publications
Journal
Conference/Workshop
Technical Report
Master Thesis
Book / Book Chapter
PhD Thesis
Researsh & Applied Activities
Extension Documents
Advanced Search

Abstract: ________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Economics. Egyptian Association of Agricultural Economics. Vol.(25), No.(4), Cairo, Egypt, December 2015.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Egypt is a country in which land is an ample resource, while water is a very limited resource therefore, fertile lands together with available water irrigation are the fundamental constraints for agricultural development. Moreover, soil improvement and conservation programs play vital role to implement the strategy of the government for better utilization, conservation and restoration of land productivity. Hence, in 1971, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation established the Executive Authority for Land Improvement Projects (EALIP) to implement all types of these programs in Egypt. These programs include gypsum application for improving the productivity of sodic soils, sub-soiling to improve soil physical properties, break up hard pans, soil compaction and all indurate layers within the root zone, land leveling and reshaping for better water management and improvement of the drainage and canal system for salinity and waterlogging control. In spite of the fact that agricultural land in Dakahlia Governorate was considered of the most fertile land types in Egypt for a long time, but the current situation refers to a deterioration in its productivity, since the cultivated area of the first productive class (Class A) in Dakahlia Governorate decreased from about 642 thousand feddans during the period (1996-2000) to about 414.3 thousand feddans during the period (2006-2010), representing a decrease of about 35.47%. However, the rest of Class (A) in the first period converted into other productive classes during the second period, reflecting the need of soil improvement and conservation programs to improve its fertility. Consequently, the current study targeted investigating the impact of soil improvement and conservation programs on some technical and economic variables of summer maize production in Dakahlia Governorate and at the national level. A survey was conducted in El Senbellaween and Aga Districts for a sample of 110 size of summer maize farmers during the agricultural season of 2013, out of which 60 farmers used such programs and 50 farmers did not use them during the same season (control fields). To ensure that the changes in the studied economic variables (e.g. costs, net revenue, .. etc.) were achieved due to using soil improvement and conservation programs solely, the study took into account some criteria in selecting both types of farmers (the users and non-users) namely; same plots, same irrigation and drainage systems, and same variety of summer maize (Single Hybrid 2030). The results revealed that high water-table, absence of agricultural extension, high soil salinity, and the spread of diseases and pests were the most important agricultural production problems faced farmers in the study sample and led to the deterioration of soil productivity. Moreover, the results showed that the impact of such programs on grain yield varies according to the type of the used programs. Besides, using such programs boosted the grain yield of summer maize by about 0.97-5.44 ardab/feddan, representing about 5.71-32.07% over the yield gained by non-user farmers and this increase was statistically significant. However, using such programs was accompanied by an increase in the costs of production ranging between about L.E. 122-313 per feddan (by about 4.87-12.54%). However, this increase was statistically significant for most of such programs. Moreover, using such programs gained higher net revenues as compared to those gained by non-user farmers. This increase ranged between about L.E. 150-1211 per feddan (about 6.63-53.71%) and this increase was statistically significant for most of such programs. Nevertheless, the results indicated that using such programs led to get more return per one spend pound over that gained by non-user farmers by about 1.68-36.58% based on the program used. Generally, using a package of soil improvement and conservation programs at the same time gained the highest increase of the studied economic variables. Based on these results, the study revealed that the dissemination of such programs on summer maize produced in Dakahlia Governorate and over-all Egypt increased the production of summer maize by about 7-37 thousand tons in Dakahlia Governorate and by about 274-1538 thousand tons at the national level upon the program used, representing about 3.71-20.83% over the production of summer maize achieved during the period (2011-2013). This means achieving higher domestic production of summer maize ranging between about 7.53-8.92 million tons nation-wide as compared to an average of about 7.38 million tons achieved during the period (2011-2013), releasing an agricultural area of about 109-490 thousand feddans, representing about 5.40-24.28% over the area cultivated by summer maize during the study period that can be cultivated by other summer crops (e.g. cotton) and raising the self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) of it from about 53.52% as an average during that period to about 56.40-66.51% upon the program used. This in turn positively affected the deficit in the agricultural trade balance by reducing the value of maize imports from about USD 172-437 million (by about 8.45-21.42% less than the average value of maize imports for the study period) based on the program used. Besides, the dissemination of such programs on summer maize resulted in increasing its net revenue, enhancing the incomes earned by farmers in the Governorate by about L.E. 7.22-58.45 million, and increasing Egypt’s net agricultural income by about L.E. 302-2444 million (by about 0.16-1.28% over the average of Egypt’s net agricultural income for the study period) based on the program used. Moreover, the results showed that repeated equipment breakdowns, followed by lack of such equipment, then slow performance, small cultivated areas that hinder using such programs, followed by their high costs, followed by far agricultural mechanization stations, and finally lack of knowledge of the importance of such programs were the most important obstacles to use such programs from the viewpoint of the interviewed sample farmers.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

URL

Download Document

Publication year

2015

Pages

1659 - 1674

Availability location

مكتبة معهد بحوث الاقتصاد الزراعي-7 ش نادى الصيد - مبنى الهيئات والشركات - الدقي- الجيزة (الدور الرابع)

Availability number

Organization Name

Agricultural Economics Research Institute (AERI)

City