Impacts of the Harran Plain Irrigation Projects on the Well-being of Local Cotton Farmers Operating in the Sanliurfa Province of Turkey: Income Distribution Revisited

This paper aims to address the issue of income distribution among farm households growing cotton under the irrigated conditions of the Harran Plain located in the Sanliurfa Province. Comparing the results from ex-ante and ex-post distributional analyses, it is possible to determine the socio-economic impacts of the South Eastern Anatolia (GAP) Project on the well-being of these local cotton farmers. Results show that although in absolute terms the provision of Harran Plain irrigation projects has increased income of local cotton farmers, Gini ratio of 0.49 indicates that there has been uneven income distribution in the Harran Plain's cotton sector. The most important factor affecting income distribution is determined to be how well or poor land under cotton is distributed among these local farmers.