Irrigated rice farming in the Senegal River Valley is known to be highly
productive, as indicated by the average yield of nearly 5 tons per hectare, and the
extensive adoption of modern seed-fertilizer technology. This study seeks to understand
why rice farming is so productive in this region; analyzing this situation from the
viewpoint of the management efficiency of large versus small scale irrigation schemes.
Contrary to popular belief, the study found that farmers in large-scale irrigation schemes
achieve significantly higher yields and profits than those in small-scale irrigation
schemes
