Impact of subsidy policy on the drip irrigation systems under non-volumetric and volumetric water allocation in the Najafabad aquifer.

This study determines the amount of irrigation water saved as a result of the subsidy policy to adapt from flood to drip irrigation. We developed a positive mathematical programming model (PMP) to evaluate the effect of economic incentives on farmers' decisions to choose the type of irrigation technology, cropping pattern, and "water use" and "water consumption" in rural Garkan Shomali district, which is part of the Najafabad aquifer. We collected data through farm surveys, desk research, and expert interviews. The results showed that a reduction in the financial costs of converting flood irrigation into drip irrigation can lead to farmers investing in this technology. In the current water allocation scenario, the subsidy policy increases the water consumption of drip-irrigated crops by 28%, of which 19% is non-consumed water before subsidy payment and the rest is related to the reduction of furrow-irrigated lands. Also …