IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2016) 7-1

Research article
erd

Economic Analysis of Small-scale Pumping Machines
Operated in Rice Production in Chum Kiri District, Kampot,Cambodia
LYHOUR HIN*
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Email: hinlyhour@rua.edu.kh

SARITH MOEUKFaculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

CHAMNAN SUOS
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Received 21 December 2015

Accepted 11 April 2016(*Corresponding Author)Abstract Water scarcity has become abnormally serious across the year, so timely irrigation aid
is strongly required for healthy crop growth. Therefore, this paper aims to explore thecharacteristics of farmers’ preferences over pumping machines in rice production and toanalyze their break-even points. The study was performed during the period from January toJune in 2015, by randomly selecting 80 pump owners from one farming commune in Chum Kiri
District, Kampot Province, Cambodia. The data were collected using household interviews, indepth interviews and a group discussion. The data were analyzed by utilizing descriptive
statistics and the break-even formula to investigate repair costs, annual pumping hours andstandard farm sizes. The result shows that water pumps were highly in operation during dry
season to maintain the crop-water balance and were annually operated about 412 hours. The
engine capacity of pumping machines, frequently purchased, ranged from 5.5 to 8 horsepower.
The pumps lasted for five full-operational years and depreciated 25 dollars on an annual basis.
Japanese-brand pumps were best-selling, still farmers were subjected to have excessive
spending on annual repairs because of less care and little maintenance knowledge. Althoughwater pumps were widely utilized across the studied area, each household only cultivated on anaverage of 1.20 hectare-farmland, whereas the break-even land was calculated to be at least 6
hectares of cultivated land, so that the pumps were fully operated, economically and effectively.
In conclusion, though operated on a small land, water pumps have made a contribution toward
improvement in crop production. However, they remained minimally useful in case of scarcewater sources. Therefore, irrigation sources should also be considered and constructed, so crop
production might be double or diversified with the presence of pumping machines.
Keywords dry season, operational hours, farmland, break-even point

INTRODUCTION
Water is crucial for cropping systems in Cambodia. However, rice is mostly cultivated once a year
largely due to rainfall dependency. Thus, annual rice yields are even low during water scarcity. In
comparison, annual rice crops are cultivated two or three times in Thailand and Vietnam because of theinvolvement of mechanization making the two nations become leaders in rice exports. In this case,usage of pumping machines is deemed an effective tool in adequate water irrigation (MAFF, 2012). Interms of rural economies, water for irrigation has nurtured approximately 500 million family farmsⒸ ISERD

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worldwide in the form of rainfall and water sources, while contributing toward securing world foodadequacy for rural households. In fact, small farms—either irrigated or non-irrigated—are also
managed by almost 60% of Cambodian farmers who rely mostly upon rice farming. Thus, farmmechanization is widely known as a driving force of agricultural transformation and development(Chhim Chhum et al., 2015). For this reason, watering innovation in obtaining irrigation water isrequired to improve rice production and yield along with technical support on agricultural machinery(FAO, 2014).
Furthermore, due to high demographic growth in Cambodia, rice cultivated areas have been
expanded enormously and increased from about 2 million hectares in 2003 to roughly 3 million
hectares in 2013. The expansion of farmland has resulted in higher machinery purchase increasing thenumber of power tillers from 13,700 units to 128,800 units and the number of pumps from about
100,000 units to 232,000 units over the same period of time (Saruth et al., 2014). The rising numbersof purchased pumping machines may either bring benefits to the nation or pose new challenges to rural
mechanization in Cambodia when technical assistance is not widely available. Machines are heavily
imported without providing adequate vocational training on mechanics to local distributors (ChhimChhum et al., 2015). In this case, rural skills including economical operation of farming machinery arenecessarily the best choice in enhancing rural economies (ADB, 2015), as Cambodian people that
reside in the countryside possess relatively low skills and low educational achievement. Besides,
technical skill shortages are largely apparent in countryside people. Due to the importance ofmachinery involvement and necessary skills relevant to the operation of machinery, especially smallscale water pumps, this study aims to explore the characteristics of farmers’ preferences over pumping
machines in rice production and to analyze their break-even points. By doing so, the optimum
cultivated farmland may be found out.
METHODOLOGY
Site Selection and Sampling Procedure

Fig. 1 Map of the studied area in Chompouvorn Commune, Chum Kirir District
Farmers who utilized pumping machines for irrigation were randomly selected from Chompouvorn
Commune, Chumkiri District, Kampot Province, where rainy-season rice is mostly cultivated. To
understand how portable water pumps are used to suit the current situation of the cropping systems, thefarmers from two different villages were categorized into two low and high pump usages and then weresampled using Yamane Taro’s (1992) formula (Israel, 2013), as shown below:
𝑁𝑛 = 1+𝑁.𝑒 2(1)Ⓒ ISERD

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IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2016) 7-1

Where n is a number of selected samples; N represents a population of farmers operating pumping
machines in the two villages; and e is the level of significance and accounts for 10%.
Table 1 Sample of farmers operating water pumps
Level of pumputilization

Number of householdswith pumps (person)

Number of samples(person)

Thmey

High

246

52

Koun Damrey

Low

133

28379

80

Village names

Total

Data Analysis and Break-even Farm Size
Efficient operation of water pumps depends greatly upon how often they are utilized and how big thefarmland is. Economically based pump usage is considered important for farm operation as long as
profitability is highly aimed. Annual depreciation cost of machinery and break-even farm size, when
one pump is purchased and operated, are calculated based on the following formulae:
𝐷=𝑃𝑉−𝑆𝑉𝐿(2)

Where D is a pump depreciation cost (USD/year); PV represents the initial price of one pump(USD); SV is known to be the price of pump salvage or 10% of initial price (USD); and L is a pumplife span and is up to 6 years.
𝐵𝐸 =𝐹𝐶𝑃−𝑉𝐶(3)

Source: Patterson and Painter (2011)

Where BE represents break-even farm size cultivated for efficient pump usage (ha); FC is anannual pump ownership cost (USD/year); P is custom pump hired rate per hectare (USD/ha); and VC
covers all operating costs such as fuel, labor, and repairs (USD/ha).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONAgriculture in Cambodia is dominated by paterfamiliases, accounting for 84.27% of farming families
interviewed in the studied area, while only 15.73% represents materfamilias families. Table 2 indicatesthat men are still influential in decision-making for purchasing inputs and machinery for agricultural
practices. Meanwhile, Cambodian farmers still have low literacy rates as 41.57% of the farmers could
only spend a school period of 9 years, while 35% dropped out of school at young age. Dropout cases
are very common in rural areas due to low budget and poor schooling infrastructure. However, 23.60%
could finish high school. The 25-44 age categories of the rice growers living in the studied area
account for about 57%, while 24.72% fall within the 45-60 age category, which means that themajority of the farmers are considered full labor. It is clear that the average age of the rice farmers
equals to 42 years. The number of family members averages 4.39 persons per household, with 2
persons considered full labor. Because the active labor category of 1-3 persons accounts for almost
90% of the interviewed farmers, this signifies labor shortages. Furthermore, 65% of the rice farmers
cultivate rice on the land that is smaller than 1 hectare, whereas 21.35% own rice fields varying in size
from 1 to slightly higher than 2 hectares. In general, the cultivated farmland averages 1.15 hectares.
According to the survey, the farmers have had 27 years of farming experience, and by investing anⒸ ISERD85

IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2016) 7-1

average sum of 250 USD on land preparation, inputs and harvest; they could earn an annual income of760 USD to cover all the expenses.
Table 2 Household characteristics of Chompouvorn Commune
Variable description

Frequency(n=80)

Gender of household head
Male67
Female13
Educational level of household head (yr)No education2
Primary school
26
Secondary school
33
High school or higher
19
Family status of household head
Married
62
Divorced18
Age (yr) (>=25 years old)
25 - 444645 - 60
20> 60
12Household size (Person)
1–4
48
5 - 1032
Active labor (Person)
1–370>310
Farmland size (ha)<163
1–24>2
13
Family experience in farming (yr)Total expenses in farming (USD/yr)
Total income from farming (USD/yr)

Percentage(%)

Mean

84.27
15.73
2.25
32.58
41.57
23.60

9.00

77.53
22.47
57.30
24.72
14.61

42.32

59.55
40.45

4.39

87.64
12.36

278.65
5.62
15.73

1.20
27250
760

Characteristics of Pump Operation and Its Working Capacity
The pumping machines that farmers commonly use are Japanese brands including Honda, Yamaha,
and Yamasaki. Based on Table 3, brand-new pumps are more preferable as they are relatively
inexpensive and have a long lifespan. Of all the interviewed farmers, 43.82% have utilized thepumping machines for at least 5 years, while others have owned the pumps for at least 3 years(p<0.001). The pumps have small engine horsepower from 5.5 to 6.5 horsepower and account for 70%of the farmers, while 30% select the engines that have 8 horsepower (p=0.003). Moreover, the pipes of
50 and 80 mm in diameter (p<0.044) are chosen for pumping, representing 61.80% and 38.20%,
respectively. Besides that, the rotary speed of 3,600 rpm is preferred, and centrifugal-type pumps arechosen because they are capable to lift water up to 30 m in height. With this height, rice fields that are
far away from the canals can be sufficiently irrigated. In terms of convenience, pumps with gasoline
engine are best-selling, as they are light and easy to carry, so 77.53% of the farmers choose them.
Diesel pumps (p<0.001) are still in use, representing 22.47% of the interviewees.
Pumps provide advantages during the peak demand for irrigation, but they may also cause farmers
to spend more, when they are broken. The most common pump problems are related to fuel tank,ballast, spark plug, injection nozzle and wearing ring; as farmers utilize their pumps with little careⒸ ISERD86

IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2016) 7-1(p<0.010). New pumps break down occasionally throughout the year, and due to inadequate technicalknowledge, farmers have to get them repaired (p<0.001) at mechanical shops, with about 80% of thempaying a sum of between 10 and 20 USD. Around 20% pay less than 10 USD.
Table 3 Preferential characteristics of pump utilization in the studied area
Variable description of pumpType of pump purchase
New
Second-handYears of pump use<3
3–5>5Horsepower (hp)
5.5 - 6
6.5 - 8
Pipe diameter (mm)5080Rotary speed (Round per min)3600
Total head lift (m)30
Suction distance(m)5-78Type of pump blade
Centrifugal
Type of consumed fuelDieselGasoline
Broken pump parts
Fuel tank and Ballast
Spark plug & injection nozzle
Wearing ringpump breakdown
Occasional
Often
Repairs of broken pumpSelf-repair
Repairman
Repair spending (USD/yr)< 10
10 - 20
Initial pump price (USD)
Number of operating hours (hr)Frequency(n=80)

Percentage
(%)

80
-

100.00-63935-

Significance
level
-

24.32

<0.001***13.60

0.003**

04.05

0.044*----

Chi square

7.87
48.31
43.82

28
52

34.83
65.17

31
49

38.20
61.80

80

100.0080

100.00
8.83

30
50

37.50
62.50

80

100.00

18
62

-

-

24.20

<0.001***09.23

0.010*

36.45<0.001***51.20<0.001***28.80<0.001***

22.47
77.53

23
29
18

28.75
36.25
35.00

67
13

84.27
15.73

872

10.11
89.89

16
64

0.024*20.22
79.78
182.00415.24

Note: ***, **, and * signs mean very highly significant, highly significant, and significant

Analysis of Break-even Farm Size
Pumps are commonly used during the rainy season. This situation is prevalent in the studied area due
to no irrigation systems for water reservation. Accordingly, there is also no rice cultivation during dryⒸ ISERD

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Sum of money (USD/year)

season. In consequence, farmers plant rice during the rainy season and resort to non-farm work duringthe dry season. Besides that, the price of a new pump is about 182 USD (Table 3) and is usable for 6years; thus farmers have to incur an annual depreciation cost that is estimated at 25 USD. When thepump is operated on one hectare of land, its owner has to spend 90 USD annually on gasoline,
lubricant and repair costs, as shown in Figure 2. So when it is custom-hired to irrigate farmland of one
hectare, 15 USD may be charged. Thus, the pump is used to its full capacity, only if farmers have towork on 6 hectares of land per year. This does not mean that they have to possess exactly that size ofland, but they can double cultivation, which leads to double usage of the pump, or they may use it inother ways for economic purposes. In terms of farmland, the farm size that each household has
amounts for only 1.20 hectares, while the number of pump operating hours per year averages at 415.24
hours (Table 3). These two numbers shows that pumps are used for multi-purpose, not only for
irrigation. They may use up their annual working capacity because in general, a pumping machine may
be used for 500 hours per year. Therefore, it may be efficient when farmers double their cropping
seasons in a case that irrigation systems are potentially available.
700,000
175
600,000
150

FC (riel)
Income (riel/ha)
TC (riel/ha)
VC (riel/ha)

500,000
125
400,000
100
300,000
75
200,000
50
100,000
25 0001234

567

8

910Farmland size (ha)Fig. 2 Calculation of farmland size needed for efficient pump utilization
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the pumping machines purchased are mostly imported products, but they do not costmuch. The farmers possess small plots of farmland with labor shortages. Rice cultivation depends
solely upon rainy season rice. This situation results in high depreciation costs and non-efficient pumpusage. Besides that, farmers usually experience occasional breakdowns of the pumps and rely upon
repairmen to solve the problem because of little mechanical knowledge. As calculated, the optimum
farm size that is suitable for pump utilization equals at least 6 hectares, but in reality, available
cultivated farmland remains smaller. Thus, all these problems are solvable if pump-repairing training isprovided to target farmers to reduce unwanted costs. In addition, more irrigation systems should bebuilt, so that farmers may access water in each season, thereby increasing their cultivation seasons.
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ADB (Asian Development Bank). 2015. Cambodia: Addressing the skill gap employment diagnostic study.
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Chhim, C., Buth, B. and Ear, S. 2015. Effect of labor movement on agricultural in Cambodia. Cambodia
Development Research Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 2014. Innovation in family farming. Rome, Italy.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 2015. Social protection and agriculture: Breaking the cycle of ruralpoverty. Rome, Italy.
Israel, G.D. 2013. Dertermining sample size. University of Florida, USA.
MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). 2012. Annual report of agriculture for 2011-2012.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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Paul, E.P. and Kathleen, P. 2011. Custom rates for Idaho agricultural aperations 2010-2011. Uniersity of Idaho, U.
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