A Survey on Water Use Efficiency of Rice Producers in Kamfirouz Region, Fars Province, Iran

Regarding the increase in needs of human societies to agricultural products, increasing water use efficiency can lead to persistent use of limited water resources. Therefore, in this study using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), technical, allocative, managerial and economic efficiency and also Optimal level of inputs is surveyed in order to achieve maximum Efficiency in Marvdasht city in 2010. Furthermore, using sub-vector efficiency, Water Use Efficiency (WEU) of rice producers in Kamfirouz region located in Fars province, Iran, is determined. The results showed the average of technical, allocative, economical and managerial efficiency are 72, 40, 28, 79 and 91 percent respectively. Average of WEU with constant and Variable Return to Scale (CRS, VRS) assumptions were 28 and 35 percent, respectively. Rice producers have a potential to reduce the level of water use about 65 percent, without reducing productions. Based on the results, the worst uses of inputs are related to water, area and pesticide uses which are 40, 35 and 39.74 percent respectively. By findings, amendment of Water prices' tariff as well as conducting some training meeting and courses in order to fully introduce scientific principles of planting, conservation and harvest in optimal usage of production factors, specially water ,and also acquirement of farmers about Periodic irrigation instead of dipping irrigation is recommended. Keywords: Water Use Efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis, Marvdasht.