The impact of innovative irrigation system use on crop yield among smallholder farmers in Mbombela Local Municipality, South Africa.

Abstract

Smallholder farmers play a pivotal role in food production and rural development in South Africa. However, their productivity is often constrained by reliance on rainfed agriculture and the underutilisation of innovative technologies such as irrigation systems. This study assessed the impact of innovative irrigation system (IIS) use on crop yield among smallholder crop farmers (SCFs) in Mbombela Local Municipality. Focusing on vegetables and agronomic crop producers. Primary data was collected from 308 SCFs using a structured questionnaire through descriptive and cross-sectional survey design. A Probit regression model was used to estimate the probability of using an IIS, while Propensity Score Matching (PSM) estimated the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) in terms of yield. The results reveal that age group (p = 0.080), main source of off-farm income (p = 0.042), and high input costs (p = 0.006) significantly determined IIS use. Impact analysis confirms that users of IISs achieved higher yields than non-users. The study concludes that innovative irrigation technologies can significantly improve smallholder productivity. It recommends that policymakers and government bodies prioritise scaling up access to IIS, introduce subsidies or low-interest financing schemes to alleviate the IIS usage costs, and strengthen extension services to provide targeted training on irrigation scheduling, system maintenance, and water-use efficiency.