Gupta, ManojRAHUL2021-03-032021-03-032020https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810161877Sugarcane 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.EnglishThesis