Economic Performance of Traditional and Modern Rice Varieties under Different Water Management Systems

Manel Ben Hassen, Federica Monaco, Arianna Facchi, Marco Romani, Giampiero Valè and Guido Sali
Additional contact information
Manel Ben Hassen: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
Federica Monaco: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
Arianna Facchi: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
Marco Romani: Rice Research Centre, Ente Nazionale Risi, strada per Ceretto 4, 27030 Castello d’Agogna (PV), Italy
Giampiero Valè: CREA—Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Rice Research Unit, S.S. 11 per Torino km 2.5, 13100 Vercelli, Italy
Guido Sali: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 3, 1-10

Abstract: Italian rice production is progressively threatened by water scarcity. Some strategies have been developed to reduce water use. Nevertheless, reducing water irrigation amounts may lower paddy rice production. This publication compares the productivity and the economic performances of traditional and modern rice varieties in northern Italy using two different water management systems. The objective of this analysis is to enhance Italian rice cultivation at the economic, environmental and agronomic levels. Some positive variations of water productivity and economic water productivity were observed for the two varieties when using a lower amount of irrigation water. However, actual production costs and most water supply fees are the same for all the irrigation methods. Furthermore, the study of agronomic traits shows that during the recent years, there were no significant differences or increases of yield among varieties. Consequently, to be adopted by farmers, the irrigation costs coupled with improved rice accessions need to be optimized.

Keywords: rice cultivation; Italy; water saving; water productivity; economic water productivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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