ASSESSMENT OF TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF APPLE CULTIVATION IN HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2020-11
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NAUNI,UHF
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study entitled “Assessment of Technical Efficiency of Apple Cultivation in
Himachal Pradesh” was undertaken with a vision to study the technical efficiency in apple
cultivation. Out of the four agro-ecological zones of Himachal Pradesh, zone-II, zone-III and zone-IV
were selected purposively. The results of trends in area, production, productivity and export-import of
apple were analysed at international, national and state level and results showed that the world’s apple
production has grown at a compound growth rate of 2.51% per cent per annum, whereas India
recorded a significant growth (3.40%) per annum which was higher than world’s growth rate. Increase
in apple production of world was due to area (33.35%) and yield (41.19%) expansion, whereas,
increase in production in Asian region was because of area-yield effect (52.02%). Trend in area and
production was analyzed by dividing the study period into two sub period 1973 to 1990 (P-I) and
1990 to 2018 (P-II) and results revealed that the increase in apple production in India and Himachal
Pradesh was mainly due to area expansion only. In Himachal Pradesh, growth in apple production has
been decreased (4.74%) in second period as compared to first period (7.35%). Area under apple
orchards was found to be highest (1.32ha) in zone-II followed by (1.15ha) in zone-III and (0.91ha) in
zone-IV. Among the traditional cultivar, Royal Delicious and Red Delicious were the major apple
cultivars occupying 54.17 and 34.72 per cent of the total area, whereas, Top Red (39.02%) and Red
Chief (34.15%) occupied the major area among the new cultivars. Net returns from age group 27-35
year were highest (Rs. 3.79 lakh) followed by age group 17-26 (Rs. 3.34 lakh), >35 (2.55 lakh), 12-16
(Rs. 2.07 lakh) and 7-11 (Rs. 92,873.75) years, whereas, the payback period was found to be in 9
years and internal rate of return as 24 per cent for all agro-climatic zones. The overall mean technical
efficiency was found to be highest (88.64%) in 17-26 years apple plantation followed by 27-35
(85.63%) years, 12-16 (81.24%) years, 7-11 (75.68%) years and >35 (70.04%) years. Mean technical
efficiency for all age group plantations was highest in zone-III followed by zone-II and zone-IV,
which means that the sample apple orchardists of zone-III were already operating in more efficient
level of production. Sampled apple orchardists were adapting the major strategies like rainwater
harvesting techniques (76%), high density plantation (66%), improved varieties (61%), and moisture
conservation techniques (64%) to mitigate the impact of climate change in order to improve the
production and productivity of apple.