Average crop yields on treadle-pump irrigated plots are higher than those obtained by farmers using diesel pumps or other irrigation devices, largely because of more intensive cultivation. Treadle-pump farming offers a return on family labor 1.5 to 2.5 times the market wage rate. Enterprising poor families are using the pump to make the transition from subsistence farming to small-scale commercial farming. In the long run, treadle pump-adopter households are likely to perform better in terms of savings and capital accumulation, investment in agriculture, and education. The spread of these pumps in a community improves wage rates and employment opportunities for the landless.
Families using treadle pumps withdraw from the local labor market to work their own lands.
It is easy to operate, which allows the entire family to share the work load. Encouraging smart farming The pump s impact on household incomes is not only due to improved crop yields. The pump also allows farmers to make the most of their small holdings by growing more economically rewarding vegetable crops, which require a reliable supply of irrigation water. Treadle pump irrigation encourages high water use efficiency. Farmers are unlikely to use more water than necessary because of the physical labor involved, and many attempt to reduce the amount of pumping required by engaging in water saving practices such as field contouring.