World Applied Sciences Journal 14 (2): 235-244, 2011 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2011 Corresponding Author: H. Tilahun, Melkasa Agricultural Research Centre, P.O. Box: 436, Nazareth, Ethiopia. Tel: + 251 011 6172249, Fax: +251 011 61 72 001, E-mail: t.erkossa@cgiar.org. 235 Comparative Performance of Irrigated and Rainfed Agriculture in Ethiopia H. Tilahun, E. Teklu, M. Michael, H. Fitsum and S.B. Awulachew 1 2 3 4 5 Melkasa Agricultural Research Centre, P.O. Box: 436, Nazareth, Ethiopia 1 International Water Management Institute, P.O. Box: 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2,4,5 Freie University of Berlin; Malteserstr, 74-100, Haus H, Raum H-152 12249, Berlin, Germany 3 Abstract: With its an estimated human population of 85 million which increases annually at about 2.7 per cent, Ethiopia is the second most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) only after Nigeria. Agriculture contributes about 45% and 85% to the GDP and the export earnings, respectively. However, agriculture largely depends on the highly variable rainfall. Accentuated with the rampant land degradation, the seasonal and annual variation in rainfall severely impedes agricultural productivity. In the face of soaring global food prices, importing agricultural products is becoming more challenging. This entails a substantial increase in water and land productivity through investment in both rainfed and irrigated agriculture. Irrigation projects often require huge financial and capital investment. As a result, rain fed agriculture may continue to play a major role in the near future, especially in areas with sufficient rainfall. Therefore, prioritization and resources allocation to the rainfed and irrigated agriculture should ensure the efficient use of the limited resources. This study compared the efficiency of the small-scale irrigation (SSI) and the large-scale irrigated agricultural schemes in different river basins against the rain fed system. The study indicated that irrigated agriculture is more efficient both in terms of water use and economics regardless of the typology or the basins considered. The large-scale schemes are more efficient than the small-scale ones. This may be attributed to the use of other complementary crop management technologies such as fertilizers and the use of improved crop varieties. Although rainfed agriculture remains important for a long period to come, gradual transformation to irrigation particularly to large- scale schemes may lead to efficient use of resources for economic development. Key words: Small-scale irrigation %Large-scale irrigation %River basins INTRODUCTION formerly non-food deficit areas of the country. Agriculture is the mainstay of Ethiopian economy that their annual crop production would only last them up contributing about 45 % to the GDP and 85 % to the to six months and only 2% reported that their current national export earnings. It also supplies a significant year’s crop production feeds their households for more proportion of the industrial raw materials while employing than a year [4]. According to FAO [2], about 44 % of the about 85 % of the population [1]. With the human population lived below the national poverty line in year population estimated at 77 million in 2007, which increases 2000. annually at about 2.7 per cent, adding nearly 2 million On the other hand, there is a huge tract of each year, it is the second most populous country in sub- arable land with low population density in the low Saharan Africa (SSA) next only to Nigeria [2]. However, land areas. However, the rainfalls in the low land agricultural productivity remains meager due to unreliable areas is neither sufficient in amount nor dependable rainfall, small and fragmented land holding, land in distribution and consequently, crops frequently degradation, limited technological inputs and poor suffer from moisture stress and drought. As a result, the infrastructural development and market linkages. areas are not effectively utilized for agricultural IFAD [3] reported that drought coupled with serious production. Yet, they are endowed with abundant water environmental degradation has increased in frequency, resources that could be utilized for irrigation. The largest magnitude and geographic coverage, spreading to proportion of the potentially irrigable land of the country, Consequently about 55% of the rural households reported