Green Global
Foundation   Journal
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PROFITABILITY OF POTATO CULTIVATION IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF RANGPUR DISTRICT IN BANGLADESH (Pages : 29 - 34)

Profitability of potato cultivation was studied in some selected areas of Rangpur district from winter and summer season of 2012-2013. Sixty farmers were selected randomly from the population using simple random sampling. Among the sixty selected farmers, 24 were marginal, 22 were small and 14 were medium. A Cobb-Douglas production function model was also applied to estimate the contribution of key variables to production processes of potato. The major findings of the study are that the cultivation of potato is a profitable business, and the medium farms are more profitable than the small and marginal. The study reveals that total costs of potato per hectare were the highest for marginal farms (BDT 58600) and the lowest for small farms (BDT 57114). On the return side, net return of potato was BDT 34245 for marginal farms, BDT 47971 for small farms and BDT 61227 for medium farms. The benefit cost ratio of marginal, small and medium farmers were 1.58, 1.87 and 2.07, respectively. The study also indicates that the medium farms were most profitable compared to others. Per hectare production cost of potato production was BDT 57912 for all farm categories in the study area. Per hectare gross margin of potato cultivation under marginal, small and medium farms were BDT 48337, BDT 62140 and BDT 73035, respectively. Estimated benefit cost ratios indicated that return over per taka investment was higher for medium farmers which was BDT 2.07 followed by small (BDT 1.87) and marginal farmers (BDT 1.58). So, positive relationship was observed between benefit and cost ratio and farm size. On the basis of group total lack of quality seed is an acute problem for potato production. So, supply of quality seed is the first suggestion that was given by the farmers in the study area.Download