Browsing by Author "Jesy Thomas, K"

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Capital formation in farm households of Kerala - a study in Nemom block panchayat of Thiruvananthapuram district
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2002) Rani, G; Jesy Thomas, K
The present investigation on capital formation in farm households of Nemom Block Panchayat of Thiruvananthapuram district was aimed to assess the extent and nature of capital formation and to identify the constraints faced by farmers in capital formation. Two stage random sampling and stratified sampling in the third stage was adopted for the selection of 150 respondent farmers based on their size of holdings. The socio economic features, capital formation and constraints faced by farmers on the basis of income, expenditure, savings and asset structure of the farmers were studied using tabular analysis. Income from crop formed the major share of total farm income. Material expenditure and expenditure on feed formed the major share oftotal crop expenditure and livestock expenditure respectively. Out ofthe total investment in farm households, major share was occupied by land residential buildings. When land, residential buildings, vehicles and household durables were excluded, the asset structure showed that largest share of investment was on wells and tanks. The average gross capital formation in farm households was Rs.34450.44 and average net capital formation was Rs.3290.54. Major share of gross and net capital formation was on land improvement. The income, expenditure, savings, value of assets, gross capital formation and net capital formation increased with farm size. It was low (0.71) in the sample farm households because of the high value of existing asset structure. Among the Panchayats, the rate of capital formation was maximum in Kalliyoor, where farming was the major source of income of majority of sample respondents. High wage rate was the most important constraint faced by farmers followed by high cost of living. Non - availability of labour, low product price, incidence of pest and diseases, lack of interest and negative attitude of younger generation towards farming were also identified as major obstacles in capital formation in sample farm households.
Economic analysis of production, marketing and price behavior of coconut
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2017) Preethi, V P; Jesy Thomas, K
Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is an important crop cultivated in Kerala which covers 39 per cent of net area sown in the state and contributes 15 per cent to the state agricultural GDP. Even though the state has the largest area under coconut cultivation, per palm productivity is very low at 42 nuts per tree. Now the state is losing its share to other competitive states like Tamil Nadu which ranks first in production. Hence the present study was carried out to analyse the trend in area, production and productivity and price behaviour of coconut in Kerala along with an understanding of production and marketing structure. Kozhikode district was selected as the study area which has the largest area under coconut cultivation in Kerala. Based on the list of farmers collected from Krishibhavans, 40 farmers were randomly selected from the two selected blocks making a total sample size of 80. The information was also collected from 25 market intermediaries including wholesalers, retailers and millers. Trend analysis was done to understand the growth pattern of coconut in terms of area, production and productivity both at national and state level from 1980-01 to 2015-16. In India, area, production and productivity of coconut showed an increasing trend. The analysis on the growth performance of coconut in India revealed that area, production and productivity of coconut had shown an increasing trend, with the exception of growth in area and production during Period I. During Period II, in spite of a higher growth in productivity, the growth rate was lower for production due to stagnant growth in area. However, the growth in area, production and productivity during the overall period under study was significant and positive. In case of Kerala, productivity-based growth of output was observed which means that the growth in production of coconut was mainly by the contribution of growth in productivity rather than in area. The price behavior of coconut and copra in major markets of Kerala viz., Alappuzha and Kozhikode were analyzed by decomposing the monthly price data into four components viz., secular trend, seasonal variation, cyclical variation and irregular variation assuming a multiplicative model of time series. The price of coconut and copra in these markets showed an increasing trend in the long run. While analysing the seasonal variation it was noticed that during the Period I (1980-01 to 1995-96), price of coconut showed wide fluctuations in both the markets but it was considerably low in Period II (1995-96 to 2015-16) whereas, the seasonal variation of copra price in both the markets showed a similar pattern. Three to four cycles were seen in both the market prices but the length of cycles was observed to be varying. Co-integration analysis of coconut prices in the above two markets were carried out and it was revealed that both the markets were integrated. In order to provide additional evidence as to whether and in which direction, price transmission was occurred Granger causality test was carried out and the results proved the existence of unidirectional causality between Kozhikode and Alappuzha market prices in the long run. Since coconut is a perennial crop, its yielding phase was assumed to be 50 years, with a non-bearing phase of 7 years. The cost and returns were estimated taking into account the establishment cost and the maintenance cost. The cost of cultivation per hectare was Rs.1,01,989 with a net return of Rs.24,011. It was noted that human labour accounted for 50 per cent of the total cost. To evaluate resource use efficiency in coconut cultivation, Cobb-Douglas production function was fitted. Manures, fertilizers and plant protection chemicals were found to be significantly contributing towards the yield. Moreover, an increasing returns to scale in coconut production was observed in the study area which implies that there is ample scope to increase the profit of farmers by proper adoption of technology and by optimal allocation of resources. Marketing plays a predominant role in agricultural development and is as important as production to any producer. Thus, an efficient marketing system can increase the level of income of producers and raise the satisfaction of consumers. Marketing of coconut needs further attention in Kerala, the land of coconut as it serves the lives for more than 80 per cent of the people in the state. The most common marketing channel identified in the study area was channel I (Producer- village trader- wholesaler- retailor- consumers). It was found that lack of storage facilities and fluctuating prices drive the producers to sell raw nuts immediately after harvesting instead of waiting for a higher price for their produce. Major constraints identified in the study area were wide fluctuations in coconut prices, high labour cost, pests and diseases attack and inadequate procurement scheme. In order to tackle these problems, it is necessary to encourage coconut farmers to replant old and senile trees by providing subsidy and ensure high production by strengthening the existing procurement scheme. Strategies emphasizing implementation of comprehensive coconut rejuvenation programmes, enhancing productivity through better technology integration and value addition through product diversification to ensure better price for farmers are suggested.
Economic analysis of production, marketing and price behavior of tapioca
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2018) Athira, E; Jesy Thomas, K
Tapioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a staple food crop cultivated in several developing countreis around the globe. Among the tropical root and tuber crops, tapioca stands first in terms of area and production. India is the tenth largest producer of tapioca with production of 8.10 million tonnes from an area of 2.17 lakh hectares. India acquires its significance in global tapioca economy due to highest productivity in the world (36.4 t/ha). Among Indian states Kerala stands second in production of tapioca. The area under tapioca was showing a declining trend from the eighties which has resulted in stagnant production. In the above background, the present study was carried out with the objective of analysing the trend in area, production and productivity and price behaviour of tapioca, estimating the economics and resource use efficiency of tapioca production, identifying the marketing channels, estimating marketing costs, margins and marketing efficiency and finding out the major constraints in production and marketing of tapioca in Kerala. The study is based on both primary and secondary data. The time series data on area, production and productivity of tapioca in Kerala and India for a period of 1950-51 to 2016-17 were collected to study the trend and growth rate. Monthly average prices of tapioca in various markets of Kerala were collected to evaluate the trend and price behaviour of tapioca over the period 2002 to 2018. Primary data was collected form 120 selected farmers of Kollam district and Malappuram district using pretested interview schedule by personal interview method. Trend analysis was done to understand the growth pattern of tapioca in terms of area, production and productivity both at national and state level from 1950-51 to 2016-17. In India production and productivity of tapioca showed an increasing trend but the area was showing a declining trend. In the case of Kerala, similar trend was observed with negative growth in area for the entire period of study, but the growth for the entire period of study, but the growth rate in production was positive due to high and positive growth rate in productivity. The price behavior of tapioca in major markets of Kerala viz., Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Chalai were analyzed by decomposing the monthly price data into four components viz., secular trend, seasonal variation, cyclical variation and irregular variation assuming a multiplicative model of time series. The price of tapioca in these markets showed an increasing trend in the long run. While analyzing the seasonal variation it was noticed that during the entire study period (2002 to 2018), price of tapioca showed wide fluctuations in all the three markets. Due to high fluctuations in price no definite cycles were seen in the market prices. Co-integration analysis of tapioca prices in the above three markets were carried out and it was revealed all the three markets were integrated. In order to provide additional evidence on the direction of price transmission, Granger causality test was carried out and the results proved the existence of causality between Kozhikode and Ernakulam markets in the long run in both the directions. Unidirectional causality was found between Kozhikode and Chalai markets and Ernakulam and Chalai markets. The cost and returns were estimated using ABC cost concepts. The cost of cultivation per hectare was Rs.1, 54,619 with a net return of Rs. 43,190. It was noted that human labour accounted for 48.50 per cent of the total cost. To evaluate resource use efficiency in tapioca cultivation, Cobb-Douglas production function was fitted. Human labour and experience in farming were found to be significantly and experience in tapioca cultivation, Cobb-Douglas production function was fitted. Human labour and experience in farming were found to be significantly contributing towards the yield. Moreover, an increasing returns to scale in tapioca production was observed in the study area which implies that there is ample scope to increase the profit of farmers by proper adoption of technology and by optimal allocation of resources. Marketing plays a predominant role in agricultural development and is as important as production to any producer. Thus, an efficient marketing system can increase the level of income of producers and raise the satisfaction of cosumers. The most common marketing channel identified in the study area was channel I (Producer-village trader-wholesaler-retailer-consumer) with a marketing efficiency of 2.0, while channel IV (Producer-consumer) was found to be the most efficient channel (6.45) as there were no intermediaries. Major production constraints identified were high labour cost and labour shortage and the marketing constraints were low price and distress sale to traders. The future of tapioca lies in the promotion of diversified uses of tapioca, especially in the industrial sector so policy intervention to encourage potential entrepreneurs to start industries to produce diverse value added products from tapioca is needed to tackle these problems.
Export and price behaviour of cashewnut in India
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2012) Jeethu M Gopalan; Jesy Thomas, K
India among the 28 other cashew growing countries is the largest area holder (9.53 lakh ha), processor and importer of cashewnuts. India holds a major share of around 54 percent in the global trade from 21 percent of its cashew area. The Indian cashew industry, apart from being a prominent national exchequer, provides sustainable employment opportunities to 5.5 lakh workers annually, mostly women. As any violent price fluctuations can have adverse effects on the industry, reliable price information is an urgent need for all stakeholders. Hence, the present study “Export and price behaviour of cashewnut in India” was taken up with the objective of analyzing the export and price behaviour of cashew in India and evolving a reliable price forecasting model for cashew kernel prices in the domestic (Kollam) and international (London) markets. The study was conducted based on the secondary data published by various institutions. The Compound Growth Rate (CGR) and the trend indices for the post liberalization period (1993-2011) indicated that area under cashew has been steadily increasing but production and productivity showed wide fluctuations in certain years. During the study period, Kerala registered negative growth rates in area, production and productivity because farmers have shifted to more remunerative crops like rubber. The CGR analysis of cashew trade in the pre and post-liberalisation periods revealed that exports of cashew kernels and import of raw nuts fell in the post-liberalization periods. But export of CNSL rapidly grew in the post-liberalisation period indicating its versatile need as raw-material in many industries. An analysis of the net export earnings revealed that earnings have been falling since 2000 stressing the need to boost Indian cashew production to meet the export requirement. The price behaviour of cashew kernels was studied using the techniques of classical decomposition of time series analysis. The monthly average price data on cashew kernels in domestic (Kollam) and international (London) markets were decomposed in to its four components viz., secular trend, seasonal, cyclical and irregular variations. The analysis showed that the cashew kernel prices in both domestic and international markets widely fluctuated during the period 1999 to 2009 February after which an increasing trend in prices was noticed. The prices of cashew kernels in both markets generally increased from 2009 onwards due to global supply constraints but the prices in the domestic market abruptly fell in 2011 July. Seasonal indices revealed that the buoyant phase was observed during June to July with the highest price index in July and the trough period was observed during March to April with the lowest index in the month of April. In the international market, the buoyant phase was observed during June to August with the peak price in August and the trough period was observed from February to May. The cyclical indices for the international and domestic markets showed that no price cycles could be identified in prices for both markets. The irregular indices revealed that there were considerable irregular variations in cashew prices in both the markets. The instability in cashew prices was studied using the coefficient of variation (CV) which was 23.87 per cent for domestic market and 26.46 per cent for international market. The export competitiveness of Indian cashew kernels was measured using NPC under exportable hypothesis. The mean NPC value for the period was 1.02, which is slightly more than unity indicating that the commodity was not export competitive as a whole but a trend towards gain in export competitiveness from 2008 was noticed. Various price forecasting models viz., moving average, single exponential smoothing, double exponential smoothing, ANN and ARIMA models were tried to develop a reliable price forecasting model for cashew kernel prices in both domestic (Kollam) and international (London) markets. While ARIMA model proved to be the best in predicting international kernel prices, no model could suitably forecast the prices in the domestic market. The market integration studies using the co integration technique showed that both domestic and international markets were integrated. The pair wise Granger Causality test indicated that there was influence of domestic kernel prices on international kernel prices and not vice versa. This result is of utmost importance as cashew kernels from Kerala sets the benchmark quality in the world market. Even though India is the largest area-holder under cashew, it lags behind in productivity. Development of new technology and their efficient transfer holds the key to increase productivity and become self-sufficient in raw nut production. More efforts need to be taken to improve cashew plantations in non-traditional areas like West Bengal and other north-eastern states which has contributed to 3 lakh MT of the total cashew production in 2010-11. By maintaining quality standards, India can remain a major player in the export scenario.
Market access for smallholder tomato farmers in Mashonaland East Province of Zimbabwe: an economic analysis
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2014) Emmanuel Zivenge; Jesy Thomas, K
Linking small primary producers with markets has been identified as one of the major issues in policy and practice in improving livelihoods for millions of poor in Zimbabwe. Hence this study assessed the current market situation as a way of tracking and tracing efficacy and efficiency failures leading to more informed decision making with regard to redesigning of the matching market for smallholder farmers. The objectives of the study were to identify the tomato supply chains, analyse the price behaviour of tomato, assess the economic performance of the major supply chains, evaluate the institutional innovations in the supply chains and suggest viable supply chain options for smallholder tomato farmers in Zimbabwe. Tomato crop was chosen for the study as it is among the most important vegetables grown by smallholder. The study was based on both primary and secondary data. The study was conducted in Mashonaland East Province. Primary data were collected by means of formal interviews and structured questionnaire from farmers, market-intermediaries and government officials. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used for sample selection. Descriptive analysis was employed to provide a snap shot of the situation under study, which consisted of household level information. The Random Utility Model was employed to determine the factors which significantly influence the market accessibility. The price behaviour was studied using the techniques of classical time series. The Supply chain mapping was done to identify the actors. The study employed Data envelopment analysis to assess economic performance of supply chains and allocation of resources. Volume mapping results indicated that the supply chain, which involved hawkers, was handling the largest volume of tomatoes approximately 409.4 tonnes in one production cycle in 2013 season. The chain that included wholesalers/processors was the least in terms of quantity handled (39.4 tons) showing that it was not accessible. Data envelopment analysis results indicated that the chain that included wholesalers and processors was the only efficient chain when constant return to scale was assumed. Supermarket chain was efficient when variable returns to scale was assumed. The chains that included passers-by and hawkers were inefficient under both constant returns to scale and variable returns to scale technologies. The seasonal index results showed that the tomato prices were highest and lowest in July and November respectively when prices were 31 percent higher than the annual average price and 43 percent below the annual average' price. Spatial markets were not efficient in the short run although showing stable equilibrium in the long run. The price changes were transmitted from one market to another at a rate between 22 percent and 24 percent in the short run which proved to be low. There was no centre market among six municipal markets since price changes were to be set around more than one market. Random Utility model results showed that credit, greenhouse and cooperative membership were significantly influencing participation of smallholder farmers in formal markets. Data envelopment analysis results showed that farmer, on average could reduce input consumption by 12 percent and 27 percent at production and marketing stages respectively. The study concluded that the opportunities to improve profits lie in the marketing perspectives rather than production for tomato producers under study. Farmers can gain better income by reducing consumption of inputs without necessarily asking for high prices. The higher market price cannot compensate the value loss incurred by the high level of transaction costs. Tomato producers should pursue the low transaction costs marketing chains rather than ask for a higher market price. The chain that included hawkers should be given due attention and modem matket infrastructures should be established in rural areas in order to relay reliable, relevant and correct information to the farmers.
Market behaviour of important spices of Kerala
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2003) Divya, K M; Jesy Thomas, K
Price behaviour of nendran banana in Kerala: an economic analysis
(Department of Agriculture Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2019) Shana, K K; Jesy Thomas, K
India is the leading producer of banana in the world with an annual production of 30 million tons from 0.8 million hectares (2017-18). Nendran is one of the most important commercial varieties of banana grown in Kerala, occupying about 50 per cent of the total area under banana. Wide fluctuations have been observed in the price of Nendran, resulting in income variability of farmers. Hence the present study has been carried out with the objectives of analysing the price behaviour and volatility in prices of Nendran banana in Kerala. The study was mainly based on secondary data collected from the major markets of Kozhikode, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram. Trend analysis was carried out to understand the growth in area, production and productivity of banana both at national and state levels from 1980-81 to 2017-18. In India, the area, production and productivity of banana showed a significant growth. The area and production in Kerala showed an increasing trend but the productivity was found decreasing. Even with a growth in area of 4.83 per cent, the production increased only by 1.27 per cent due to the negative growth rate of -3.4 per cent in productivity per annum. The price behaviour of Nendran banana in major markets of Kerala viz., Kozhikode, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram for a duration of 16 years (20032018) was analyzed by decomposing the monthly price data into four components such as secular trend, seasonal variation, cyclical variation and irregular variation assuming a multiplicative model. Prices in all the three markets showed increasing trend. The seasonal variation of Nendran banana price in the markets showed a similar pattern, with peak price in the month of August because of increased demand during Onam season. Price cycles with length varying from six to seven years were noted in the market price. xix Pairwise and multiple co-integration analysis of Nendran banana prices in the above markets were carried out after confirming the stationarity of price series using Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test. The results showed that the markets were integrated, inferring the presence of price association among the markets. In order to provide additional evidence as to whether and in which direction price transmission occurred, Granger causality test was carried out and the existence of unidirectional causality from Kozhikode market to Ernakulam market and from Thiruvananthapuram market to Kozhikode and Ernakulam markets was proved. Correlation co-efficient between monthly market arrivals and prices of Nendran banana in Kozhikode, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram markets from 2013 to 2018 was computed to evaluate the pattern of association between them. In all the three markets, the prices and quantity of arrivals were found to be negatively correlated implying that prices decreased with increase in arrival of Nendran banana. The variability in Nendran banana arrivals and prices was studied computing the coefficient of variation and maximum variability in arrivals was found in Ernakulam market (42.52 per cent) and maximum variability in prices was found in Thiruvananthapuram market (24.41 per cent). Intra-annual volatility and inter-annual volatility of monthly prices of Nendran banana from 2003 to 2018 were estimated and the prices were found to be highly volatile. The intra-annual volatility showed no distinct pattern in all the three markets. The magnitude of inter-annual volatility was decreasing throughout and the divergence between the volatility of prices were found to be decreasing towards the latter end. Instability in annual prices worked out using suitable indices showed that prices in Thiruvananthapuram market were more volatile than other markets as it was influenced by prices in the markets of Tamil Nadu. xx Major constraints identified in the study area were wide fluctuations in prices, high labour and transportation costs, unavailability of institutional credit and lack of reliable information about prices. Price fluctuations and volatility creates uncertainty in the planting and marketing decisions of the farmer. Unavailability of reliable price information makes marketing difficult and farmers become more vulnerable to price risk. Therefore, suitable strategies for developing market intelligence for Nendran banana including price forecasting and provision to farmers, price stabilization through year round procurement and introduction of support price were suggested as policy interventions.
Price behaviour of turmeric in India
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2011) Jyothi, T; Jesy Thomas, K
The present study on the "Price behaviour of turmeric in India" was undertaken with the specific objective of investigating the secular trend, seasonality, cyclical and irregular movements in the price of turmeric in India and to evolve a reliable price forecasting model for turmeric.' The study was conducted during the year 2010-11 with reference to three major markets in the country viz., Kochi, Nizamabad and Erode markets employing secondary data. With reference to CGR of area, production and productivity of turmeric at All- India level, compared to pre- WTO regime, the rate of growth in area and productivity of turmeric showed declining trend during post- WTO regime and hence, growth rate in production also showed declining trend. Both in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, the crop has not received due attention during post- WTO regime compared to pre- WTO regime, as indicated by the declining trends in terms of area, production and productivity. However, in Tamil Nadu, the crop witnessed insignificant growth rates in terms of area, production and productivity of turmeric during both pre- WTO and post- WTO regimes. Despite slow growth in production of turmeric in the era of liberalized regime, India enjoyed favourable net trade position, as indicated by the significant positive growth rates in the exports of turmeric in terms of quantity, value and unit price compared to import scenario. Further, the instability in exports of turmeric declined during post- WTO regime compared to pre- WTO regime, as indicated by the fall in CV. However, there is much scope to increase the export prospects ofturmeric, as even today, India's export basket comprises of fresh produce only rather than processed products. This favourable net trade position is further confirmed by the low NPCsindicating that, India enjoys more export competitiveness for turmeric in the international market. Regarding price behaviour, the analysis based on single exponential method revealed that, in Kochi and Erode markets, turmeric prices showed greater degree of fluctuations up to September 2007 and the period beyond October, 2007 represents growth phase in turmeric prices. For turmeric (bulb) and turmeric (finger) in Nizamabad market, prices have not shown a specific trend, implying a greater degree of price volatality for these commodities. Market integration study was conducted considering the spot prices of turmeric at the selected markets by employing the Johansen multiple eo integration analysis. The two eo-integration equations were found to be significant at five per cent level, indicating that, the selected markets are having long run equilibrium relationship. Seasonal indices of turmeric prices computed through employing ratio to moving average method revealed that, the domestic prices of turmeric exhibited considerable seasonality in all the selected markets. The seasonal price behaviour further inferred that, it was almost similar among Kochi and Erode markets because of their proximity, while it was totally different for the Nizarnabad market, as it is distantly separated compared to the earlier two markets. Cyclical variations in turmeric prices are more pronounced in all the selected markets. In Kochi market, the length of the cycle lasted for about six years, seven years for turmeric bulb and finger prices in Nizamabad market and six to seven years in Erode market. Turmeric prices were subjected to considerable irregular variations and these are due to supply shocks on account of climatic variations or market shocks on account of demand shocks or high speculative factors. Different pnce forecasting methods were employed VlZ., double exponential smoothing (Nizamabad and Erode markets) and Winters' multiplicative method and Winters' additive method (Ko chi market) for price forecasting of turmeric during the months of March, April and May, 2011 and the findings revealed that, the modal prices of three months fall in the range of forecasted prices across all the markets indicating that, the price forecasts were reliable. The accuracy percentage of turmeric price forecast ranges from 90 to 99 per cent. The prices so forecasted across the markets are validated for the same period and the findings revealed that, the monthly modal prices of selected commodity fall within the range of predicted prices. The accuracy percentage of price forecast is above 90 for the reference commodity and this implies that the forecast is reliable in all the selected markets. Considering the above findings with reference to production and trading scenarios of turmeric, it is essential to formulate multi-pronged strategy such as strengthening R&D to develop and release HYV of turmeric and fine tune the crop production strategies with reference to different agro-ecological situations, strengthening processing, storage and market information network, effective implementation of Market Intervention Scheme, improving the acces:; of farmers towards futures markets to overcome price risk, quality enhancement of turmeric on the lines of SPS standards fixed by the importing countries, price forecasting to regulate area and production of turmeric in tune of its export prospects etc., so as to enhance both domestic and export competitiveness and to gain due share in the international market.
Production and marketing of pineapple in Trichur District
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1982) Jesy Thomas, K; Mukundan, K
A study on the production and marketing of pineapple in Trichur district was conducted during March-April, 1982 to evaluate the costs and returns of pineapple production, the marketing costs and price spread as well as the problems faced by the cultivators. Simple random sampling was adopted for selecting the sample and fifty cultivators were surveyed by personal interview method. The total cost of cultivation per hectare of pineapple for four years for the district was found to be Rs.30334.92 and cost was highest for the first year being Rs.13289.92 (42.55 per cent).The major item of expenditure was human labour constituting about 59.32 per cent (Rs.17995) of the total costs. Expenditure on fertilizer accounted for 24.25 per cent (Rs.7356) and that for suckers 6.78 per cent (Rs.2056) for the district. With regard to the operation-wise cost of cultivation, manuring and earthing occupied a major share of 39.48 per cent (Rs.11976) and for weeding the expenditure was Rs.6656 (24.04 per cent). Pineapple starts yielding in the second year and maximum returns was found to obtain in the third year with Rs.18934 per hectare for the district. The returns in the second and fourth year were Rs.11626 and Rs.12476 respectively. Cost of production per quintal of pineapple fruits was highest in the second year (Rs.79.26) and lowest in the third year with Rs.54.82 for the district. The pay-back period was 2.77 years, with a benefit cost ratio of 1.31, net present worth of Rs.8258.09 and internal rate of return of 43.37 per cent. The number of suckers per hectare was the factor which was found to be significant in the regression analysis. The main marketing channel in the case of pineapple was producer Commission/agent wholesaler ----Retailer ---- consumer channel. The marketing efficiency assessed on the basis of price-spread and marketing costs revealed that there was a high price spread of Rs.94 per quintal and the producers got only 51.79 per cent of the consumer’s price, while wholesalers and retailers got 17.69 per cent and 20.77 per cent margins respectively. Pineapple was marketed as fresh fruit commonly, but the canning industries in Trichur make a number of canned products such as squash, slices, titbits etc. High cost of inputs, fluctuation in prices and improper marketing facilities etc. are the problems faced by the cultivators in this district. Non-availability of sufficient fruits to factories become a serious problem in the case of canning units.
Production and marketing of vanilla
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2005) Deepa, U V; Jesy Thomas, K
The present study on the economics of production and marketing of vanilla aims to estimate the costs and returns in vanilla cultivation, identify the marketing channels and marketing costs along with the analysis of the price behaviour and trade competitiveness of vanilla in Kerala The cost of cultivation was worked out using operation wise approach and input wise approach by employing the ABC cost concepts in farm management. Small sized, medium sized and large sized vanilla plantations behaved differently in incurring costs during the establishment, steady yield and declining yield periods. The total cost of establishment at the aggregate level was Rs.1, 45,102 per hectare and it ranged from Rs. 1,37,445 per hectare in small holdings to Rs. 1,54,776 per hectare in medium sized holdings. The annual maintenance cost during the stabilized yield period worked out to Rs.57829 per hectare at the aggregate level and it was Rs. 55456,Rs.58343 and Rs.58577 per hectare for small, medium and large holdings respectively. The annual maintenance cost during the declining yield period worked out to Rs57313 at the aggregate level and it was Rs. 56042, Rs. 58158, and Rs. 58507 for small, medium and large holdings. Input wise analysis of costs for establishment stage showed that cost C3 at the aggregate level worked out to Rs. 193205. The total Cost C3 for steady yield stage worked out to Rs. 81057 at the aggregate level and it was Rs 77508, Rs. 83444 and Rs. 83466 for small, medium and large holdings respectively. During the declining yield stage cost C3 at the aggregate level worked out to Rs.79407, and it was Rs. 77320,Rs. 819175and Rs. 81354 for Small, medium and large farmers respectively. The returns from green beans started from third year and it remained stable from fourth to seventh year and declined during eighth to fifteenth year. . The returns from the by product commenced from the third year onwards and increased during the steady yield stage and declining yield stage. It was observed that cost of production was more during the later stages of growth than the beginning stages of vanilla production. A higher benefit cost ratio and high NPW for small holdings pointed out its higher profitability compared to medium and large holdings. The major marketing channels identified were Producer-Local agent –exporter, Producer Exporter, Producer - vanilla growers association- exporter. It was found that it was highly beneficial for the vanilla grower to go for on farm processing of the beans instead of selling as raw beans, if they could maintain the required international quality of the beans. The major constraints faced by the farmers were price fluctuations, lack of marketing facilities, lack of knowledge on processing
Socio- economic issues in pesticide use: an analysis in bittergourd
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2006) Chithra, M S; Jesy Thomas, K
The present study on the " Socio-economic Issues on pestici~e use: An analysis in bittergourd" was conducted to study the economics, analyse pattern of pesticide use and examine the socio economic issues in use of pesticides in bitter gourd. The study was taken up in Palakkad and Thrissur districts where bittergourd cultivation is taken up on a commercial scale. From the districts, Nemmara and Pazhayannur panchayats were selected for the study. The total cost of cultivation per hectare at C3 level in bittergourd cultivation was' found to be RS.l 09240 in Nemmara and RS.l 0690 1 in Pazhayannur. The benefit cost ratio was found to be 1.63 in Nemmara and 1.61 in Pazhayannur. Among the inputs, labour charges constituted the major share followed by manures. Among the . different operations, manuring and fertilizer application occupied the lion's share. The pesticide usage in the study area was found to be indiscriminate and the usage of plant protection chemicals was found to increase with an increase in holding size. The respondents in Pazhayannur were resorting more on non-chemical methods of pest control. The yield and returns per hectare was found to be 22190 kg and Rs. 177520 in Nemmara and 21551 kg and Rs. 172408 in Pazhayannur . .. In the analysis of gross income function, area, PPC, and orgamc manure was found to be significantly influencing the gross income. The factors influencing the pesticide. expenditure wer~ analyzed and the• study showed that area, . . "fertilizer and income was found to have significant influence on pesticide expenditure. In the estimation of technical efficiency using maximum likelihood estimates, plant protection chemicals and human labour were found to be significant. The mean technical efficiency in bittergourd production was found to be higher in Pazhayannur (0.84) as compared to Nemmara (0.79). • In the analysis of the factors influencing the overuse of pesticides, the gross income was found to have significant influence on the overuse of pesticides. Consumer survey revealed that 82.5 per cent of consumers were aware of the pesticide residues and the Willingness To Pay Premium (WTPP) was found to be Rs.4.21 per kilogram of bitter gourd. The major constraints in the organic production of bittergourd was the lack of proper markets for selling organically produced bittergourd, non-uniformity in the cultivation practices in an area and small size of the produce obtained though organic cultivation.
Supply chain analysis of marine fish marketing system in Kerala
(Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2017) Jeyanthi, P; Jesy Thomas, K
Fisheries is a major allied sector of agriculture contributing about 0.8 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 5.15 per cent to agricultural GDP in India. Marine fisheries supports around 10 million people providing livelihood and employment directly or indirectly. Fish also provides more than one billion people living below the poverty line with most of their daily animal protein requirement globally. Kerala is a state known for its fish consumption which is more than four times the national average. However, the marine domestic fish marketing system faces several challenges in the process of distributing fish from the producer to the consumer. The study was conducted in Kerala state, which is the fourth largest fish producer in the country, and covered coastal and land locked (non-coastal) regions. The objectives of the study were to identify the supply chain of selected fish species, to assess the structure and performance of domestic fish markets, to examine the market integration and price transmission among the markets and to assess the consumer perception and suggest policy guidelines for improved fish marketing in Kerala. Two coastal districts viz., Ernakulam (E) and Kollam (K) and two land locked districts, Idukki (I) and Pathanamthitta (P) were selected and data was collected using simple random sampling from various marketing functionaries (producers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers). Since the species composition of marine fish landings is varied, the study focused on four high value (seer fish, shrimp, pomfret and tuna) and four low value but commonly consumed fish species (sardine, mackerel, anchovies, threadfin bream). Supply chain of the selected fish species was identified using the framework of Feller et al, 2006. Market performance of producers, wholesalers and retailers were assessed using Data Envelopment Analysis. The co-integration test was used to analyses the market integration of selected market pairs. Conjoint analysis was used to determine the attributes responsible for their fish purchasing behaviour. The constraints faced by the market functionaries were ranked using Rank Based Quotient. The generic supply chain of fish identified involved the auctioneer, wholesaler, retailers, secondary retailers, between the producer and the consumer. This is almost similar to the supply chain of other perishable like fruits, vegetables and flowers. The supply chain for sardine, tuna and thread fin bream also involved extra nodes in their supply chain due to industry specific demands like feed and other specialized products. The market structure of domestic fish markets was not efficient. The main reason being lack of infrastructure such as cold storage, well planned display and assemblage platforms, potable water and weighing balance. Market performance of producers was measured at the five landing centres in Ernakulam and Kollam and it was observed that only one market was efficient in each of the districts. It was revealed that the nature of inefficiency was due to scale rather than technology. In both Ernakulam and Kollam, only one wholesale market each was efficient and all other markets showed high technical efficiency i.e., above 0.80. In both wholesale and retail markets, the technical efficiency was relatively low in Idukki and Pathanamthitta with it being least in Idukki. It was revealed that the markets in the coastal regions showed relatively high technical efficiency than the land locked regions because of the higher volumes handled in the markets due to proximity with the landing centres, viz, the primary production centres, which is not so easily accessible to the land locked districts. Among wholesale markets, one market pair in Ernakulam, one in Idukki and one in Pathanamthitta showed co-integration and among retail one each in Ernkulam and Pathanamthitta showed co-integration. This indicates that in these markets there is a possibility of long run equilibrium in prices. The existence of low short run market integration (SRMI) at both wholesale as well as retail market levels was observed among the co-integrated market pairs. Consumer preference was for fresh fish in all the four districts studied in cleaned and cut form from retailers, wholesalers or wholesaler-cum-retailer. Sardine was the most preferred species in both coastal and landlocked regions of Kerala with more than 75 and 72 per cent of respondents, respectively, consuming it daily. The relative importance of attributes that consumer in Ernakulam and Kollam looked at while purchasing fish was fish species in fresh form and income. In Idukki and Pathanamthitta, availability and income were the relatively important attributes. Based on the pooled response of market functionaries in the selected districts the domination of middlemen was the major constraint for producers, wholesalers and retailers. Safety and quality of fish was the major constraint of consumers. The studies on efficiency of fish supply chain in line with the changing consumer preference are the future line of work towards sustainable fisheries development.