Araştırma Makalesi

Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık

Cilt: 23 Sayı: 3 22 Mayıs 2026
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Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık

Öz

In semi-arid regions, the performance of small-scale irrigation organizations is important not only for water management but also for sustaining regional agricultural production, rural employment, and the economic return of public irrigation investments. Under Central Anatolian conditions, where water scarcity increasingly constrains irrigated agriculture, understanding how cooperative-operated irrigation schemes perform has clear practical and policy relevance. This study evaluates irrigation water-use efficiency and water economic productivity during the 2021–2025 period in four pond-fed, piped irrigation schemes operated by cooperatives in Mihalıççık District, Eskişehir Province, Türkiye (Diközü, Dağcı, Ömerköy, and Bahtiyar). The results show pronounced inter-annual variability in water supply adequacy across the studied schemes. Considering all schemes and years together, the water supply ratio ranged from 39% to 118%. However, “adequate” water supply alone did not explain economic success. The most notable finding emerged for the Ömerköy scheme: despite persistently low water supply ratio values throughout the period (39–65%), economic performance remained strong. Specifically, income per unit water taken into the network ranged between 0.47 and 0.73 US$ m⁻³, while income per unit irrigated area reached 3,130–3,410 US$ ha⁻¹ in 2022–2024, among the highest values in the dataset. This indicates that, even under water constraints, cooperatives can sustain the economic productivity of water when allocation and operational decisions are aligned with high-value crop patterns. In Dağcı, water supply ratio was mostly above 100% (103–118%), yet the economic indicators remained at moderate-to-high levels. Bahtiyar displayed substantial year-to-year fluctuations, peaking in 2022 (income per unit water taken into the network = 0.89 US$ m⁻³; income per unit irrigated area = 3,542 US$ ha⁻¹). Overall, the findings suggest that cooperative-based irrigation operation, although typically small in scale, can make meaningful contributions to the regional agricultural economy, especially where irrigation supports high-value and market-oriented production systems. Nonetheless, ensuring sustainable returns from public irrigation investments requires regular monitoring and evaluation, data traceability, and when needed targeted technical support in irrigation and water management. Poor water management not only undermines public investments but may also lead to difficult-to-reverse impacts on regional agricultural production and employment.The results show pronounced inter-annual variability in water supply adequacy across the studied schemes. Considering all schemes and years together, the water supply ratio ranged from 39% to 118%. However, “adequate” supply alone does not explain economic success. The most notable finding emerged for the Ömerköy scheme: despite persistently low water supply ratio throughout the period (39–65%), economic performance remained strong. Specifically, income per unit water taken into the network ranged between 0.47 and 0.73 US$ m⁻³, while income per unit irrigated area reached 3,130–3,410 US$ ha⁻¹ in 2022–2024, among the highest values in the dataset. This indicates that, even under water constraints, cooperatives can sustain the economic productivity of water when allocation and operational decisions are aligned with high-value crop patterns. In Dağcı, water supply ratio was mostly above 100% (103–118%), yet the economic indicators remained at moderate-to-high levels. Bahtiyar displayed substantial year-to-year fluctuations, peaking in 2022 (income per unit water taken into the network = 0.89 US$ m⁻³; income per unit irrigated area = 3,542 US$ ha⁻¹). Overall, the findings suggest that cooperative-based operation, although typically small in scale, can make meaningful contributions to the regional agricultural economy. Nonetheless, ensuring sustainable returns from public irrigation investments requires regular monitoring and evaluation, data traceability, and—when needed—targeted technical support in irrigation and water management. Poor water management not only undermines public investments but may also lead to difficult-to-reverse impacts on regional agricultural production and employment.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Destekleyen Kurum

Bu çalışma için herhangi bir dış finansman desteği alınmamıştır.

Proje Numarası

Yoktur

Etik Beyan

Bu çalışma için etik kuruldan izin alınmasına gerek yoktur.

Teşekkür

Yazar, kurumsal destek sağlanması ve çalışmada kullanılan işletme kayıtları ile dokümantasyona erişimin kolaylaştırılması nedeniyle Devlet Su İşleri (DSİ) 3. Bölge Müdürlüğüne teşekkür eder. Ayrıca Şekil 1’in tasarımına katkılarından dolayı Eskişehir Teknik Üniversitesi Öğretim Görevlisi Sena Erdur Harman’a teşekkür eder.

Kaynakça

  1. Akçay, S. (2016). Determination of water supply ratios in irrigation cooperatives of Aydın Province. Journal of Tekirdag Agricultural Faculty, 13(2): 135–143. https://izlik.org/JA55XB74JR (In Turkish).
  2. Arslan, F., Córcoles Tendero, J. I., Rodríguez Díaz, J. A. and Zema, D. A. (2023). Comparison of irrigation management in water user associations of Italy, Spain and Turkey using benchmarking techniques. Water Resources Management, 37: 55–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-022-03355-2
  3. Atalay, İ., and Öztürk, A. (2026). Evaluation of water use in irrigation cooperatives operating in Ankara Polatlı District. Research in Agricultural Sciences, 57(1): 19–27. https://doi.org/10.17097/agricultureatauni.1705105
  4. Aydın, B., Özkan, E., Hurma, H. and Aktaş, E. (2017). Efficiency analysis in irrigation management (the case of Kırklareli, Edirne, Tekirdağ and Çanakkale provinces). Turkish Journal of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, 4(1): 70–78. (In Turkish).
  5. Balaban, E. and Candoğan, B. N. (2024). Evaluation of irrigation performance in the Pamukçu and Aslıhantepecik Plain irrigation schemes. Journal of the Institute of Science and Technology, 14(2): 668–680. https://doi.org/10.21597/jist.1353128 (In Turkish).
  6. Berbel, J., Expósito, A., Gutiérrez-Martín, C. and Mateos, L. (2019). Effects of irrigation modernization in Spain 2002–2015. Water Resources Management, 33: 1835–1849. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-019-02215-w
  7. Bulut, O. D. (2025). Investigating the expectation meeting ratio of partners: The case of Edirne Province agricultural development / irrigation cooperatives. Selcuk Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 39(2): 334–343. https://doi.org/10.15316/selcukjafsci.1628307
  8. Çakmak, B. and Avcı, S. (2025). Assessment of agricultural water consumption in İzmir Province. Turkish Journal of Agriculture–Food Science and Technology, 13(5): 1278–1284. https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v13i5.1278-1284.7577

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Sulama Sistemleri

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yayımlanma Tarihi

22 Mayıs 2026

Gönderilme Tarihi

30 Ocak 2026

Kabul Tarihi

1 Mayıs 2026

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2026 Cilt: 23 Sayı: 3

Kaynak Göster

APA
Harman, E. (2026). Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi, 23(3), 1118-1131. https://doi.org/10.33462/jotaf.1877892
AMA
1.Harman E. Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık. JOTAF. 2026;23(3):1118-1131. doi:10.33462/jotaf.1877892
Chicago
Harman, Eray. 2026. “Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık”. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi 23 (3): 1118-31. https://doi.org/10.33462/jotaf.1877892.
EndNote
Harman E (01 Mayıs 2026) Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi 23 3 1118–1131.
IEEE
[1]E. Harman, “Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık”, JOTAF, c. 23, sy 3, ss. 1118–1131, May. 2026, doi: 10.33462/jotaf.1877892.
ISNAD
Harman, Eray. “Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık”. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi 23/3 (01 Mayıs 2026): 1118-1131. https://doi.org/10.33462/jotaf.1877892.
JAMA
1.Harman E. Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık. JOTAF. 2026;23:1118–1131.
MLA
Harman, Eray. “Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık”. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi, c. 23, sy 3, Mayıs 2026, ss. 1118-31, doi:10.33462/jotaf.1877892.
Vancouver
1.Eray Harman. Evaluation of Irrigation Performance and Water Economic Productivity in Cooperative-Operated Irrigation Schemes: Evidence from Mihalıççık. JOTAF. 01 Mayıs 2026;23(3):1118-31. doi:10.33462/jotaf.1877892