Economic analysis of production and marketing of vegetables in Thiruvananthapuram district

Abstract

The present study on "Economic analysis of production and marketing of vegetables in Thiruvananthapuram district" was conducted with a view to examine the costs and returns of vegetable cultivation, employment generation, marketing efficiency, technical efficiency and problems encountered in production and marketing of vegetables. A comparative study of vegetable growers of KHDP and IVDP was also carried out. The data pertains to the year 1999-2000. The total explicit costs for IVDP and KHDP snakegourd growers were Rs. 62711.60 and Rs. 61448.40 respectively. Total implicit cost was worked out at Rs. 64956.90 and Rs. 58140.20 respectively for IVDP and KHDP growers. Bitter gourd was the only crop, which recorded a benefit-cost ratio higher than one at cost C3. The total cost of cultivation (Cost C3) ranged from the lowest of Rs. 64313.70 for amaranth us to as high as Rs. 134135.60 for bittergourd. Bittergourd was the most remunerative crop in the area with a gross return of Rs. 206065.20 for KHDP and a benefit cost ratio of 1.53 at cost C3. Cost of organic manure occupied the highest share of the total cost of cultivation of all the three crops.

The KHDP bittergourd growers showed an estimated mean technical efficiency of 80 per cent and for IVDP growers it was 71 per cent. In the study area most of the vegetable producers marketed their produce in the markets in Thiruvananthapuram city. The marketing efficiency was highest for bittergourd (l.99) followed by snake gourd (l.31) and amaranthus (0.83). The major constraints experienced in cultivation were incidence of pests and diseases, unavailability of quality seeds at reasonable cost, lack of credit availability and lack of .marketing facilities.