Irrigation Water Use Efficiency in Olive Trees in Kairouan, Tunisia

Olive farms in Kairouan, Tunisia, could significantly reduce water use by 63.7% to 82.8% through improved irrigation efficiency and optimal scaling of operations. A study using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) revealed that average water use efficiency varies between 17.2% under constant returns to scale (CRS) and 36.3% under variable returns to scale (VRS), highlighting substantial inefficiencies in current practices. The findings suggest that addressing scale inefficiency and considering factors like water and soil quality could lead to more effective irrigation management, benefiting both resource conservation and productivity.

Kamiyama, H., Kefi, M., & Kashiwagi, K. (2021). Irrigation Water Use Efficiency in Olive Trees in Kairouan, Tunisia. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, 11(3), 255–261. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.ajard.2021.113.255.261