ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF MAJOR VEGETABLE CULTIVATION IN TRIBAL AREA OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2019-08
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study entitled “Economic Analysis of Vegetable Cultivation in Tribal Area of
Himachal Pradesh” was carried out in Kalpa and Nichar blocks of district Kinnaur on the basis of highest area
under vegetable cultivation. The multi-stage random sampling procedure was adopted to select the respondents.
Compound annual growth rate was used to analyse the trend in vegetable cultivation and various cost concepts
were used in order to calculate the benefits realized from vegetable cultivation. The results of the study indicate
that about 71.59 per cent of the surveyed people were engaged in agriculture. The major vegetable crops grown
were pea, both kharif and rabi, cabbage and beans. The cropping intensity in the study area was in the range of
127.16 to 148.08 falling under medium to marginal farm category respectively. The overall cost of cultivation
was worked out for three major crops and it was found highest in kharif pea (Rs269972.40/ha) followed by rabi
pea (Rs246483.73/ha), cabbage (Rs148739.49/ha) and then beans (Rs 136288.23/ha). The net returns was found
highest in kharif pea (Rs 277046.95), despite the high cost incurred in its cultivation, since it is an off season
crop and then it is followed by beans (Rs 133130.31), cabbage (Rs 107414.17) and rabi pea (Rs. 96291.58). The
Cob-Douglas production function determines the efficiency of each resource used and it showed that labour,
FYM, plant protection and seed had significant impact on pea production where as labour had negative effect on
rabi pea because of over utilization of labour. Efficiency ratio for the significant variables in all the vegetables
was greater than unity, except efficiency ratio for labour in case of rabi pea and FYM in beans. It is thus,
concluded from the analysis that the vegetable growers in the study area were not using the resources efficiently.
In order to attain maximum return growers should increase the use of all the inputs. Four main marketing
channels were found prevalent in the study area for marketing of vegetables. Among these channels, channel-C
consisting of Producer- local trader- wholesaler- retailer- consumer was found to be the most preferred channel
as more than 50 per cent of the produce was disposed off through this channel. Problems like non-availability of
labour at operation time, high wage rates, non-remunerative prices for the produce, high transportation charges,
limited market information and lack of storage facility were the major production and marketing problems
reported by the farmers in the study area.
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