The Livestock farmers who adopt irrigation

Analysis of technical change

Abstract

Livestock farming is key to Uruguay’s social, territorial and economic dynamics. Should irrigation be included in these production systems, it would have the ability to boost them, but for the time being, the adoption of this technology is still limited. This research aimed at studying the dynamics of irrigation, focusing on livestock farmers that have adopted this technology, and at investigating the factors that led them to its adoption. Three approaches were utilized: secondary sources revision, interviews to farmers who irrigate, and interviews with qualified informants. These farmers were typified as «innovators» and the reasons that led them to adopt irrigation were the increase in production and the stability of their production systems as a whole. Assuming that there are no knowledge constraints to use irrigation, and also that a minimum scale is not necessary, these two factors may turn an eventual adoption policy very promising. Improvements in factors such as public policies, training policies addressed to all involved actors and the use of demonstration farms are some suggestions proposed to boost the technical change in the current situation.