Vol. 10, Special Issue 8 (2021)

Author(s):
SR Rathod and AV Gavali

Abstract:
The present study has been undertaken to estimate the input utilization, costs and returns of banana production from Western Maharashtra. The primary data on input utilization, cost of cultivation were collected by personal interview/survey method with the help of specially designed schedule for banana growers for the year 2016-17. For the estimation of cost of cultivation the standard cost concept viz., cost-A, cost-B, cost-C and B: C ratio was used for estimation of cost and return structure. The results were presented with the averages, means and proportions etc. in tabular form. Cost of marketing was added to the cost of cultivation to arrive at the cost of production. The results of the study revealed that, per hectare magnitude of total human labour worked out to 344.07 man days. The use of bullock labour, machine power, number of seedlings/suckers, manures, micronutrients, irrigation charges and plant protection charges were 6.52 pairdays, 54.53 hrs. 3696.33 number of suckers, 621.26 q, ₹. 5737.17, ₹. 18015.19 and ₹. 6134.25, respectively. The use of potash (1579.03 kg.) was more than that of nitrogen (788.10 kg) and phosphorus (275.30 kg), at the overall level. Per hectare cost ‘A’, cost ‘B’ and cost ‘C’ was worked out to ₹. 365138.77 (59.99 %), ₹. 578824.00 (95.09 %) and ₹. 608704.48 at overall level, respectively. The B: C ratio was estimated to 2.06 at overall level while it was higher in large (2.10) than medium (2.04) and small (2.02) size group at total cost. It was clear that, banana was profitable crop as B:C ratios are greater than unity.