PUBLIC AND PRIVATE IRRIGATION WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: SUGARCANE CROP PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY COMPARED

Quantitative analysis of the yields and revenues of crops grown in the two ‘irrigation- -drainage’ systems, being practiced along publicly-managed Kabul River Canal and privately-managed Joe-Sheikh Canal of river Kabul, was carried out, using dummy-variable econometrics analytic technique. Both differential intercept and differential slopes were included to capture the effects of the two systems mentioned. Results revealed that yields per hectare of wheat and sugarcane were relatively higher and net revenues lower in KRC command areas. However, the effects of yields on net returns were lower than that of the JSC. The results thus suggest that chances of increasing yields and net returns are higher on JSC. Second, the yields of wheat at Mid section and that of sugarcane at Head section of the KRC are lower than on that of the JSC. Hence, scope of increasing yields of wheat and sugarcane are greater at Mid and Head sections of KRC, respectively. Third, the net revenues of the two crops are relatively lower on KRC. The net revenues of wheat are especially lower at Tail and that of sugarcane in Head and Mid areas of KRC. Per kg returns seems to be positively correlated with wheat net revenues in Tail area and with that of sugarcane in Mid areas. Lowering costs of sugarcane in Mid KRC area seems to have also been correlated with higher net revenues. Fourth, the results are limited in scope, and suggest that a further detailed study for the greater understanding of the phenomenon discussed be initiated.