Utilization of small farm reservoir technology among farmers in Munoz, Nueva Ecija : An assessment
Date
1999
Authors
Lusubilo Witson Mwamakamba
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Abstract
The study sought to identify the factors associated with the utilization of the SFR technology as well as assess the effects of utilizing the technology. Complete enumeration or a total of 84 SFR owners in Munoz, Nueva Ecija whose SFRs were constructed between 1991-1996 comprised the respondents of the study.
Data needed for the study were gathered using an interview schedule as guide. Analysis of these data was done using descriptive statistics. pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficient analysis and the t-test. The level of significance was set at .05 probability.
Results showed that half (50%) of the farmer-respondents were considered high utilizers of the SFR technology and the other half (50%) as low utilizers. A number among the low utilizers had engaged in the technology for crop and aquaculture production whereas, among the high utilizers, 21.6 percent had utilized it simultaneously for crop, aquaculture and animal production.
Generally, the respondents were literate having reached/completed high school. Over half had short farming experiences and had attended trainings related to SFR technology. Majority were members to some organizations.
Amortizing owners formed a greater number of the respondents and likewise had small farm size (x = 2.64 hectares. Over half of the respondents had farms which were far from the markets.
Majority of the respondents were in contact with extension workers often. However, they very seldom acquired information from their fellow farmers. They also revealed that they did not have the opportunity to participate in the observation/field tour to pilot SFR sites.
Respondents revealed that information about the SFR technology was seldom disseminated over the television and radio. Newsletters and pamphlets very seldom served as sources of information. The respondents likewise revealed to be only a little bit influenced by these information sources. Majority considered the SFR technology to be socio-culturally acceptable, economically feasible, technically feasible and ecologically sound.
A greater majority of the SFRs had only one source of water inflow. The shallowest reported was 1m and the deepest was 7m. Furthermore, they availed of water for only 5 months. Amount spent by majority of respondents in the construction of their SFRs was minimal (x = P949.340). The two main offices to have assisted in the SFR construction were CLSU's Research, Extension and Training (RET) and the Department of Agriculture.
Majority of the respondents reported that the SFR could not adequately provide water for their whole terms, that is, their SFRs could only provide water to a service area of not more than half (50) a hectare. A few had the capability of supplying water needs of farms other than their own. Most could support as many as two farmers and irrigated as much as 2 hectares of their fellow farmers' fields.
The common problems met by the respondents included the shallow reservoirs, and inability of the reservoirs to store up to its maximum capacity (38.1%). This could be attributed to the insufficient amount of rain during certain periods of the year. The solutions given to these problems ranged from requesting institutional and technical assistance in reexcavating the SFRs to the acquisition of shallow water groundwater pump to use it with the SFR.
Pearson Product moment correlation analysis, revealed that none of the socio-economic, communication related variables as well as perceived attributes of the technology was significantly related to the level of SFR utilization. Ccomparisons done before and after the utilization of the technology on the socio-economic aspects of the users reealed that there were improvements among the respondents as indicated by the increase in the means. T-test results, as well showed that the utilization of the SFR technology had highly significant effects on the socio-economic status of the users.