KAKDE, Dr. S. J.RATHOD, VINOD JASU.2018-07-252018-07-252017-10-30RATHOD V. J. (2017). Effect of Regional Resource Imbalances on cost of Production in Maharashtra. Department of Agricultural economics and statistics, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. Ph. D. 2017, Print, xv, 126p. (Unpublished)http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810061976Natural resources, production resources, developmental and extension services and involvement of marketing facilities and structure, financial institutional structure and overall developmental status of rural areas can be the major resource profile of factors influencing the efficiency of the farmer’s development.The present study is an attempt to investigate “Effect of resource imbalances on cost of production” of selected crops among the selected villages of Maharashtra. Physical infrastructure contributes to economic growth through lower transaction cost and generates multipliers of investment, employment, output, and income development. On the other hand the social infrastructure through enrichment of human resources in terms of education, health, housing recreation facilities and the like improves the quality of life. This is primarily responsible for higher concentration of better human resources in a region and helps to improve productivity of labour. Finally financial infrastructure incorporate banking, postal and tax capacity of the concerned population, represents the financial performance of the village. These three taken together represent the relative income generating capability of a village within a state or state within a country or country within a region. Natural resources, production resources, developmental and extension services and involvement of marketing facilities and structure, financial institutional structure and overall developmental status of rural areas can be the major profile of factors influencing the efficiency of the farmer’s development. In view of the above, there is an urgent need to assess the impact of these factors on the costs of production and identify the pockets having low resource profile for concentrating our future developmental efforts. Thus, this study is aimed to investigate resource imbalances across the selected villages in Vidarbha, Marathwada, Western Maharashtra, and Konkan region of Maharashtra and their influence on the costs of production of selected crops. In this study, it has been hypothesized that higher the availability of natural resources that is more developed level of infrastructure leads to higher efficiency of the farmers which ultimately leads to low cost of cultivation. With all these considerations the present study was undertaken with the following specific objectives. To study the resource profiles of selected regions, to form the clusters of villages on the basis of resource profiles, to estimate the cost and returns of selected crops grown under different levels of resource profiles, to study the effect of resource imbalance on cost of production of selected crops. In the study, it was hypothesized that the higher the availability of natural resources, more developed infrastructure leads to higher efficiency of the farmers leads to low cost of cultivation. This hypothesis was tested based on village wise information of 196 selected villages and data pertaining to the farmers. The factors influencing the costs of production were broadly classified as (1) natural resource profile, (2) Production resource factor, (3) development and extension factor and (4) marketing and financial and other developmental factors. Cluster analysis was done to form the clusters or groups of similar villages in respect of development. The composite score was developed through the technique of principle component analysis assessed village wise statuses of these factors. These indices were then related to the costs of production to assess their impact on cost. The region wise descriptive statistics, composite indices were worked out and the villages were grouped in to 3 categories that is low developed villages, medium developed villages and highly developed villages. The very region behind it was to know effect of developmental level on the cost of production for the selected crops grown in the region. As such the selected crops were Cotton, Soybean and Paddy in Vidarbha region, Cotton, Soybean and Rabi Jowar in Marathwada region, Sugarcane and Rabi Jowar in Western Maharashtra region and Paddy in Konkan region. The collected data was analyzed for various resource profile and the results are drawn. The composite indices worked out by using principal component analysis was used to group the villages into 3 categories, low developed 0.00 to 0.50, medium developed 0.51 to 0.75 and high developed 0.76 to 1.00. In Vidarbha region 26 villages were found to be low developed, 14 medium developed and 19 high developed. In Marathwada region 22 villages were found to be low developed, 28 medium developed and 12 high developed. In Western Maharashtra region 35 villages were found to be low developed, 19 medium developed and 08 high developed. In Konkan region 08 villages were found to be low developed, 04 medium developed and 01 high developed. The cost and returns qt/ha for the selected villages in Vidarbha region for Cotton, Soybean and Paddy indicated that production has significant impact of the level of development. The production qt/ha increases with increase in the value of composite indices concluding low developed villages have low production of Cotton, Soybean and Paddy. Medium developed villages relatively higher production. While the highly developed villages have the high productivity. The high developed villages recorded productivity for Cotton production 17.69 to 18.76 qt/ ha, Soybean production 17.33 to 18.17 qt/ ha and Paddy production 32.86 to 33.48 qt/ ha The trends in production for the villages in Marathwada region indicated that the Cotton productivity was in the range 18.45 to 18.89 qt/ ha, Soybean productivity 18.35 to 18.68 qt/ ha and Rabi Jowar 20.89 to 21.45 qt/ ha for high developed villages. In Western Maharashtra region Sugarcane productivity ranges between 1465.48 to 1521.85 qt/ ha for high developed villages. In Konkan region the production analysis of Paddy as influenced by the level of composite indices explained that low developed villages have productivity in range of 32.66 to 33.45 qt/ ha and in medium developed villages 33.77 to 34.01 qt/ ha. In Vidarbha region Cotton production indicated that increasing the B.C. ratio at cost- C from 1.38 for low developed villages to 1.44 for high developed villages. The Soybean production was also identical concluding the B.C. ratio increasing from 1.45 to 1.63 at cost- C. As regards the Paddy production B.C. ratio increased from 1.26 to 1.34. In Marathwada region it was also observed that the cost-A declined over the developmental level with increase in the B.C. ratio from 1.13 to 1.20 in Cotton, 1.22 to 1.30 in Soybean and 1.08 to 1.17 in Rabi Jowar. The Sugarcane in Western Maharashtra region the B.C. ratio ranges between 1.45 to 1.50 and for Rabi Jowar 1.17 to 1.18. The input output ratio for Paddy in Konkan region the B.C. ratio ranges between 1.35 to 1.37. The results of regression analysis indicated that the production is the function of developmental level. The composite indices of selected villages for Cotton were regressed on production for Cotton in all three groups. The contribution explained by the composite indices in Vidarbha region, the Cotton production ranges between 49 to 84 percent, the coefficient was significant. The results of the regression analysis for Soybean production indicated that the contribution explained was in the range 46 to 88 percent, the coefficient was significant. As regards the Paddy productivity contribution explained composite indices in Paddy production in the range of 41 to 43 percent. In Marathwada region the Cotton productivity contribution explained composite indices was in the range of 35 to 65 percent, Soybean was 40 to 68 percent. and for Rabi Jowar was 44 to 76 percent. In Western Maharashtra region composite indices explained contribution in the range of 44 to 92 percent in Sugarcane and 58 to 61 percent in Rabi Jowar. The results of regression analysis, the effect of production Y on composite indices X. for the Paddy crop in Konkan region indicated that the coefficient were significant in low and medium developed group with the coefficient of determination 71 to 94 percent. It is concluded from the above that the productivity of the crops under study have significant effect of the developmental level.ennullThesis