Constraints on Small Farmers in the Precision Land Leveling Program in the Pakistani Punjab
A Precision Land Leveling Program (PLLP) undertaken as part of the On-Farm Water Management (OFWM) Project in Pakistan has failed to reach the small farmer. This report summarizes results of a farmer survey conducted to determine the causes of this failure and offers suggestions to improve the program. A questionnaire was administered to a cross-section of 120 farmers in the Punjab to test groups of hypotheses regarding farm size and farmer categorizations (i.e., large, small, and very small farmers), the impact of the PLLP, and constraints to farmer participation. The PLLP's main benefits, according to farmers, were reduced irrigation time, higher yields, easier and more effective use of farm equipment (especially modern equipment), reduced hired labor costs and family labor time, and improved status. Despite the difficulty in defining the small farmer in Pakistan due to lack of reliable records on land ownership caused by land subdivisions within wealthy farm families, the authors were confident that the survey was accurate in showing that non-PLLP farmers tend to have smaller and more fragmented farms and to be poorer, less educated, and less influential than PLLP farmers; and to be unaware of the full PLLP. The major constraints to participation, in order of importance, were: (1) loss of a cropping season and lack of available land; (2) lack of knowledge and mistrust of PLLP or OFWM personnel; (3) costly equipment rental; (4) low subsidies and difficulties in receiving checks; and (5) a lack of access to the OFWM project. It was also found, however, that almost all non-participants were interested in the PLLP. To improve the PLLP's outreach to small farmers, the farmers stressed the importance of increased subsidies and OFWM effectiveness in contacting farmers and convincing them of PLLP benefits. The consultant team recommends improved determinants of land ownership, increased training and equipment for OFWM personnel to meet increasing demand for PLLP, increased use of private agencies and contractors to perform PLLP, and higher subsidies with simplified check cashing. The questionnaire and the survey's design and methodology are included.