Abstract
Irrigation is one means by which agricultural production can be increased to meet the growing food demands in the world. This study evaluated the effect of small-scale irrigation on farm household income in production. The specific objective of this study is to identify the factors in-fluencing participation in small-scale irrigation and provides bases for policy makers in Girawa district, Eastern Hararghe zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Both primary and secondary data were collect-ed for the study. Primary data were collected from 200 sample respondents drawn from both par-ticipant and non-participant households. Preliminary statistics and econometric models were em-ployed for data analysis. The logistic regression estimation of factors affecting participation re-vealed that age of household head, non-farm income, livestock size, size of cultivated land, dis-tance between plot and irrigation scheme, means of transportation and participation of household heads in social organization significantly affected the participation decision of households in irri-gation farming. Results showed that participation in irrigation has a significant, positive effect on farm households’ income. Therefore, policy makers should give due emphasis to the aforemen-tioned variables to increase participation in irrigation farming and improve the livelihood of rural households.