PROFITABILITY AND RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY OF AUS RICE CULTIVATION IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF CUMILLA DISTRICT IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

The present study was designed to measure the profitability and resource use efficiency of Aus rice growing districts Cumilla of Bangladesh. The study was confined to randomly selected 60Aus rice farmers. It revealed that Aus rice production is profitable to the farmers. The productivity of Aus rice at farm level was 1520 kg/ha. Aus rice farmers received Tk.24087 as gross return per hectare. And total cost was tk. 20143 per hectare. So the Benefit cost ratio (BCR) on full cost basis is 1.2. Here variable cost is tk.16243 per hectare. So the benefit cost ratio on variable cost basis is 1.5.Functional analysis showed that cost of human labor, seed, and fertilizer had positive significant contribution to gross return of Aus rice cultivation. On the other hand power tiller cost and insecticides cost had insignificant effect on gross return of Aus cultivation. Resource use efficiency indicated that in case of seed, fertilizer and insecticides; the resources were under used for Aus rice production. In case of human labor the resources are over utilized and power tiller use bring the inefficiency of Aus rice cultivation. So there is a positive effect of key factors in the production process of year round Aus rice cultivation. This study also identified some of the problems and constraints associated with Aus rice farming. Farmer faces several types of problem from production period to harvesting period. Heavy rainfall, extreme temperature, lack of capital, high input price, shortage of quality seed, shortage of labor in pick period, high wage rate and lack of capital are some acute problem that the farmer faces most.