The economic impact of irrigation agriculture: methodological aspects and an empirical application

Abstract

This article considers the regional economic impact of irrigation development by means of a case study. Theoretical aspects of irrigation development are discussed, followed by a brief overview of methodological alternatives for the determination of the economic impact of irrigation development A case study of the south-western Orange Free State is used to test some of the theoretical principles that have been put forward. First the deduction of a regional input-output table is discussed. This is followed by the determination of the economic impact of irrigation agriculture in the south-western Orange Free State. The article concludes with a discussion of the major findings.