Economic Analysis of Chickpea Production in Lalitpur District of Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Pulses are highly important in terms of the daily diet, contribution to human nutrition (protein) and also in terms of their contribution to farmer 's income and employment. Most importantly, all pulse crops improve soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into soil and helps in increasing sustainably the soil productivity. Pulses in India have been long as the poor man's meat. Pulses are grown on an area 22-23 million hectare with an annual production 13-18 million tones (MT). India accounts for 33 and 22 percent of world area production of pulses. Being the highest pulse producer in the world per capita availability is lower than it's recommended level. But the area and production under pulse production is by large stagnant, in such a situation the production can be enhanced either by increasing area under pulse or by increasing it's productivity. Under changing environmental conditions, rapidly increase the input price, delayed transfer of modern technology to farmers field, poor marketing infrastructure facilities, decrease the size of holding, low marketable surplus directly affecting the cost of production. The present study was attempt on "Economic analysis of chickpea production in Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh" with of following objectives (i) To know the socio economic profile of the sample household (ii) To work out the cost and returns of chickpea production at different size group of farms. (iii)To examine the resource use efficiency in chickpea production on different size group offarms.(iv)To study production and marketing constraints faced by the chickpea growers From the purposely selected district and blocks on the basis of highest area under the crop. Four villages were selected randomly from the selected blocks, 11 complete list of farmers were prepared and then categorized into four category i.e. marginal, small, medium and la."ge on the basis of size of holding from the total chickpea growers, 100 respondents were selec!ed in probability proportion to their population , for the collection of data, Suitable statistical tools were employed to meet the objective. The major socio economic factor identified were family size monthly income, size of holding, education level, cro;7ping pattern and farm assets the condition of large farmer was better than to other cat.eg01y farmers because of more holding size, highly qualified, more a~sets and more number of income sources, than that of medium following by .;malt" and marginal. The cost of cultivation of chickpea was amounted Rs. 5 ~·862 per hectare and a share of variable and fixed cost was 54.64 and 6.38 percent. Among the variable cost highest expenditure was observed on human laiwurl 3.38, percent rental value of land alone accounted about 30 percent of lhe total cost. The total cost of cultivation was found negatively related w;rh the size holding. The overall average yield and benefit-cost ratio was found to be 15.41 quintal/hectare and I. 04. The benefit-cost ratio was high~st 1.11 for the .'arge farmers and lowest 1. 03 for the small and marginal. In chickpea prod!lCLion sc-;ed, manure and fertilizer, and plant protection chemicals used at optimum level while human labour and machine labour were under utilized Irrigation was over uliiized in marginal category of farms. In case of small categor_v, manures & fertilizer and plant protection chemicals was used at optimum lel'el while seed, human labour and machine labour was under utilized, irrigation :-vas over utilized. On medium size farm human labour, machine labour and manures & fertilizer was utilized at optimum level, irrigation was over 1~tilized in this category, in case of large size farm, seed and human labour were at optimur,'l level , machine labour and plant protection chemicals were found over utilized. Among the various constraints as reported by the chickpea producer major prob.'em ident~fied wae rankedlsr high value of input major, rank 211 d ineffective C(t."ltrol of weed c.mstraints in and ranked 3'd shortage of labour was reported in least.