PROFITABILITY OF VEGETABLE CULTIVATION BY THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) FARMERS

Abstract

The main objectives of this study were to determine the level of profitability of vegetable cultivation by the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) farmers and to identify the factors that significantly influence profitability of vegetable cultivation. The study was conducted with proportionately and randomly selected 115 farmers in Tetuljhora union under savar upazila of Dhaka district. A pre-tested interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents during 25 th August to 25 th September, 2018. Profitability of vegetable cultivation by the IPM farmers was the dependent variable and it was measured based on the benefit cost ratio. Eleven selected characteristics of the respondents considered as independent variables of the study. The interview survey revealed that majority (74.8 percent) of the respondents had medium level of profitability while 14.8 percent and 10.4 percent of them had high and low profitability respectively. Out of selected eleven characteristics, five namely number of vegetable grown, training in vegetable cultivation, organizational participation, annual family income and education had significant positive contribution to their profitability of IPM vegetable cultivation. Therefore, to motivate the vegetable farmers for using IPM practices, the policy makers should consider the above mention significant factors.