MSc

The research programme entitled „Statistical models for profit maximization
of homesteads in Kerala‟ was carried out with the objectives of examining and
developing statistical models for homestead farming systems in the southern and
south
central
laterite
agro-ecological
units
(AEU8
and
AEU9)
of
Thiruvananthapuram district and to suggest suitable cropping/farming system models
that maximize farm income by the optimal use of available resources. The study was
based on the primary data. The relevant data from forty randomly selected
homesteads of almost similar cropping systems and having area 0.1 ha to 0.3 ha from
two panchayaths (Kulathoor and Karode) of AEU8 and same number of homesteads
from two panchayaths (Anad and Vembayam) of AEU9 was collected using a well-
structured pre-tested interview schedule.
Statistical tools such as ratios, percentages and frequencies were applied to
socio-economic variables and descriptive statistics were worked out to summarize
homestead characteristics. It was found that 43.75 per cent of the respondents
belonged to the middle aged category having secondary and higher secondary level
of education (47.5%) with an annual income less than ₹4 lakhs (77.5%) and having
median family size of 5. Only 12.5 per cent and 17.5 per cent of the respondents in
AEU8 and AEU9 had agriculture as main source of income while majority had
agriculture as subsidiary income in both agro-ecological units. Majority of the
homesteads in AEU8 and AEU9 were semi-irrigated.
The average size of homesteads was 0.18 ha and 0.21 ha in AEU8 and AEU9
respectively. The selected homesteads followed coconut based cropping system and
comprised of other thirty eight enterprises falling under the groups namely tubers,
commercial crops, spices and condiments, stimulants, fruits, vegetables, livestock
and poultry. The selected coconut based homesteads were grouped into three on the
basis of cropping/farming system existing in the homesteads (HFS), viz. system-I
(S1) consisting of crops alone, system-II (S2) including crops, poultry and goat and
system-III (S3) comprising of crops, poultry, goat and livestock.
Economics of cultivation including operational cost, gross return, net return
and benefit-cost ratio of all enterprises were worked out and the estimated total net
return of the existing HFS for an average ( 45 cents) of S1, S2 and S3 was ₹27,596/-,
₹55,244/- and ₹1,72,245/- in AEU8 and ₹23,303/-, ₹34,272/-and ₹1,31,516/- in
AEU9 (52.5 cents) respectively. The optimum model was developed by using
linear
programming
(LP)
technique
with
the
linear
objective
function
Z  c1 x1  c2 x2  ....  cn xn , where x1,x2,...,xn are the variables used to denote the
enterprises and c1,c2,...,cn are the unit net return associated to each enterprise. The
constraints included in the analysis were total area, intercropped area, investment
amount and population of each enterprise. The optimum model was developed by
giving more emphasis to safe to eat vegetable cultivation by at least doubling the area
under vegetable cultivation over the existing plan and by providing adequate number
of coconut palms based on farmer‟s preferences for this enterprise.
The optimum model worked out for SI in AEU8 consisted of binding solution
for almost all the enterprises except some enterprises like coconut and banana with
25.30 per cent enhancement in net return as compared to net return from the existing
plan. The optimum model for S2 HFS was also similar to that of S1 with non-binding
solution for coconut and poultry with 31.30 per cent increase in net return. However,
the optimum model for S3 HFS had non-binding solution for coconut and banana as
compared to the existing model and this provided only13.31 per cent increase in net
return. The result of LP for S1, S2, S3 HFS‟s in AEU9 was in accordance to AEU8
with slight difference in the nonbinding enterprises, but the increase in net return
based on the optimum model in S1, S2 and S3 was 22.83 per cent, 64.79 per cent and
44.94 per cent respectively. The result of LP indicated that intercropping area was an
abundant resource in the optimal plan of all cropping systems. It was also found that
even if income from livestock was high, farmers preferred to have the intercrops and
allied enterprises which need less management practices and labour.
Sensitivity analysis of the optimum model revealed that enhancement of net
return in both agro-ecological regions could be achieved by increasing the cropping
intensity in the underutilized intercropped area and changing the binding enterprises.
The present study developed statistical models for the existing cropping
systems in homesteads and LP model suggests that farm income could be further
enhanced by growing more number of farmer preferred crops such as tapioca,
banana, pepper etc., and by removing the most uneconomical and less important
enterprises in the existing plan with due importance to food security