ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF WHITE BUTTON MUSHROOM (Agaricus bisporus) IN HIMACHAL PRADESH - A CASE STUDY OF SHIMLA DISTRICT
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study entitled “Economic Analysis of Production and Marketing of White Button Mushroom
(Agaricus bisporus ) in Himachal Pradesh- A case study of Shimla district . A sample of 60 farmers was drawn by using
simple random technique. For the construction of strata, cumulative square root frequency method was used. the mushroom
grower were classified into three categories on the basis of number of bag, viz., Small Category (≤ 600), Medium Category
(600-1200) and Large Category (>1200). Local markets of shimla were selected purposively for conducting marketing study.
A total sample of 5 wholesalers and 5 retailers were selected randomly. Results of the study revealed that literacy rate was
found 88.25 per cent with literacy index of 2.69. The average size of land holding on overall category basis was found 0.82
hectares out of which 86.02 per cent operational holding. Mushroom production contributed maximum in total farm income
in case of Category-III (72.18%). At overall its contribution was found 49.42 per cent to the total farm income. The per farm
operational cost was estimated Rs. 38494.52, Rs.123411.50 and Rs. 371402.47 on Category-I, II and III respectively. The
cost B, which represent Cost A plus Interest on owned fixed cost was estimated to Rs. 42900.35 (Category-I), Rs. 136861.34
(Category-II) and Rs. 395743.17(Category-III) per farms. The total cost (i.e cost C3) per farm of mushroom varied from
Rs.58302.68 to Rs.463053.98. that on overall categories of farms the cost of cultivation per kg of mushroom was estimated
to Rs. 73.54 which varied between Rs.65.87 in Category-III to Rs.87.70 in Category-I. On per 100 bags The average return
in term of money value was highest in case of Category-III i.e. Rs. 12905.36 followed by Category-II Rs. 9067.08 and
Category-I Rs. 7606.81. On the selected farms the average output-input ratio was found 1.63 on the basis of cost C concept.
it was highest in Category-III (1.81) and lowest in Category-I (1.41). It has been observed that the MVP to MFC ratio in case
of fixed cost, working capital and labour was greater than unity which indicates under-utilization of these resources and
increase the use of these inputs will help in increase in production. Three marketing channels were prevalent in the study
area for marketing of mushroom crop viz., Channel-A (Producer Consumer), Channel-B (Producer Retailer
Consumer) and Channel-C (Producer Wholesaler Retailer Consumer). The most favoured channel adopted by
mushroom growers in the study area was Channel-C as the highest proportion of total marketed produce moved through this
channel (64.67%). Major problem faced by more than 70 per cent was control of flies followed by wet bubble and green
mould disease, high price of spawn, high price of compost, lack of good spawn, labour shortage were some of the production
and marketing problems reported by the farmers in the study area.
Description
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