MSc Thesis
The study to compare performance of private and cooperative institutional arrangements
of irrigation schemes was conducted in Mbarali District. Two irrigation schemes;
Igomero cooperative institution scheme and Mbarali Estate private institution scheme
were compared. The study was directed by a hypothesis that there is no difference in
performance of irrigation schemes under each institutional arrangement. Both primary
and secondary data were collected and then analysed using regression, gross margin and
returns on investments to establishing if there is any significance difference between the
two institutional arrangements. Scheme performance was captured based on physical,
institutional and economic ratio factors. Statistical results showed that there were
significant performance differences between private and cooperative irrigation schemes
based on factors mentioned above. Overall the performance of cooperative irrigation
scheme was found better by scoring 84.11% as compared to privately managed irrigation
scheme which scored 78.45%. In physical factors, private company scored 36.11%
compared to cooperative scheme scored 33.69%.
In economic factors cooperative
scheme scored 37.28% while private scheme scored 30.13% and in institutional factors
cooperative irrigation scheme performed better by scoring 8.64% while private scheme
scored 7.64%. Based on the findings of this study, the following is recommended:
irrigators from private irrigation scheme should form organisation which will present their
need to the management, irrigators are also to be allowed to plant their crops early so as
to fetch better prices in early season contrary the current prevailing bylaw of waiting the
investor to plant first. Cooperative scheme should find better ways to collect revenues
from farmers on time hence sustainability of their scheme and finally all irrigation
schemes should employ extension workers.