Empowerment of farm households in Tumakuru and Chamarajanagara districts of Karnataka: A comparative analysis of irrigated and rainfed farms

Empowerment is essential in enhancing the livelihoods and well-being of farm households, particularly in rural economies like India. Empowerment is a complex concept, which may vary in time and geography. It is one’s capacity to make choices and transform them into desired actions and outcomes. It includes autonomy in decision-making, access to productive resources, leadership opportunities, and control over income. This research study investigates the contrasting dynamics of irrigated and rainfed farm households in Tumakuru and Chamarajanagara district of Karnataka. The primary data was collected from 240 farm households, with equal representation from rainfed and irrigated conditions. The data was elicited through survey method during 2022-23. The study employed various statistical tools for analysis, which include descriptive statistics, Farm Household Empowerment Index (FHEI) and Regression analysis. In Tumakuru, the FHEI was 0.810, with irrigated farms (0.83) outperforming rainfed farms (0.76), especially in the resources and leadership domains. Similarly, Chamarajanagara had an FHEI of 0.720, with irrigated farms (0.75) surpassing rainfed farms (0.69). In both Tumakuru and Chamarajanagara districts, irrigated farms consistently demonstrate slightly higher empowerment levels compared to rainfed farms. Irrigation provides a more stable and predictable agricultural environment, which enhances productivity and income stability. This contrasts with rainfed farms, which face greater uncertainties and limited resources, resulting in lower empowerment scores. Improving irrigation infrastructure and resource access could address these disparities and significantly boost the empowerment and well-being of rainfed farms. Addressing these gaps through targeted policies could improve empowerment and livelihoods across farms.