ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RELATED TO USE OF AGRO-CHEMICALS IN COTTON PRODUCTION IN BELGAUM DISTRICT OF KARNATAKA
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Date
2002
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad
Abstract
The excess use of agro-chemicals in agriculture has not only increased production costs of the farmers but also affected the welfare of society as well as the ecological balance. The use of agro-chemicals appears as an integral part of cotton cultivation. On an average 161.20 kgs of nitrogen (N), 93.10 kgs of phosphorous (P), and 60.02 kgs of potassium (K) were used per hectare, while the plant protection chemicals consumed were 15.73 litres of liquids and 3.98 kgs of dust per hectare. The yield obtained by the sample farmers was 17.17 quintals leading to the net income of Rs.3088.98 per hectare while the B-C ratio was 1.10, indicating meager profitability of the crop. The low net returns was mainly attributed to set back of monsoon and higher incidence of insect pests. The regression coefficients for all the inputs were found positive except plant protection chemicals. Timmer measure of technical efficiency indicated that majority of the farmers (50%) were operating in the efficiency range of 50 to 75 percent. The Kopp measure of technical efficiency revealed that majority of the sample farmers overused agro-chemicals between 15 to 30 percent excess level. The technological externality that the gross income and FYM application were the two factors, which influenced the overuse of pesticides significantly. The sample farmers have overused almost all pesticides than the recommended dose of UAS (D). Around 88 percent of farmers experienced health hazards such as conjunctivitis, giddiness, hand burns etc, and only few farmers (12%) have taken the curative measures. Majority of the sample farmers were facing the constraints such as non-availability of resistant varieties, bio-control agents, quality pesticides and so on. The study emphasizes on the necessity of educating the peasant community about the ill effects and hazards of harmful chemicals on human health and thus environment.
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No . of references 98