A COMPARATIVE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF GARLIC AND BORO RICE IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF NATORE DISTRICT

Abstract

This study was undertaken to assess the comparative profitability of garlic and boro rice production. A total of 60 farmers (30 for garlic growers and 30 for boro rice growers) were selected randomly from three villages namely: Jogendranagar, Durgapur and Khubjipur under Gurudaspur Upazila in Natore district. Tabular technique and statistical analysis were done to achieve the objectives of the study. The Cobb-Douglas production function was used in this study to determine the effects of individual inputs on garlic and boro rice production. The major findings of the study were that the cultivation of garlic and boro rice was profitable from the view point of farmers. The total return per hectare for garlic and boro rice were Tk. 469056.23 and Tk. 195712.24 respectively. The gross cost of garlic was Tk. 278085.08 and for boro rice was Tk. 145960.9. Again the net return of garlic and boro rice were Tk. 190971.15 and Tk. 49751.34, respectively. The undiscounted Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) was 1.69 and 1.34 for garlic and boro rice production, respectively. The results indicated that garlic production was more profitable than the boro rice production. It was also evident from the study that per hectare net returns were influenced by most of the factors included in model namely: human labor, seed, fertilizer and manure, insecticides and pesticides, power tiller, and irrigation. These factors were directly or jointly responsible for influencing per hectare net returns for garlic and boro rice production. The study also showed that farmers producing garlic and boro rice faced some problems, mainly related to production and marketing of the crops. It may be concluded that the farmers should be encouraged to grow more garlic rather than boro rice as a means of increasing farm income through diversification of crop production in the area under study.