ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SUGARCANE CULTIVATION IN SIRMAUR DISTRICT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2020
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CSKHPKV Palampur
Abstract
Sugarcane is an important cash crop grown in India. In Himachal Pradesh, Sirmaur district is a
major producer of sugarcane and has the highest area among all districts. The study was based on
primary as well as secondary data collected during the year 2019-20. The present study was conducted
in the Paonta block of the Sirmaur district since the whole sugarcane acreage of the district is
concentrated in this block alone. In 2017-18, Himachal Pradesh had 1870 hectares of sugarcane area
out of which 45 per cent area was in the Sirmaur district alone. The result is revealed that the
compound growth rates of area, production, and productivity of sugarcane in the Sirmaur district
during the years 2006-07 to 2016-2017 were -7.55, 2.51, and 10.88 per cent, respectively. The study is
based on data collected from 60 farmers of the Poanta Sahib block out of which 19 farmers were
categorized as large farmers (>2.88 ha) and 41 small farmers (<2.88 ha). The per hectare cost of
cultivation of sugarcane was found to be ₹ 1,66,125. The per hectare yield, gross returns, and net
returns attained from the sugarcane were 898 quintals, ₹ 2,69,495, and ₹ 1,03,370, respectively. The
output-input ratio was marginally higher on large farms (1.64:1) than in small farms (1.62:1) and on
the overall farm categories output-input ratio was 1.62:1. The Cobb-Douglas production function was
fitted to work out the extent of efficacy of resource use. The maximum technological gap in sugarcane
cultivation was found in the use setts of sugarcane than the recommended rate on overall farm
situation. The marketed surplus accounted for 99.28 per cent after the home consumption and losses at
the farm. Labour scarcity for manual inter-cultural operations, non-availability of machines for the
harvesting of sugarcane, delayed payment by sugar mills, etc. were some of the major constraints
impelling sugarcane acreage.