Economic Feasibility of Capsicum Cultivation Under Greenhouse Condition - A Case Study

Abstract

Greenhouse cultivation is one of the most promising emerging technologies in vegetable or flower crops, ensuring high quality and quantity. It also ensures year-round production of vegetables with high value in the market, particularly during the off-season. However, cost is the major concern in this technology. The present study focuses on the economic viability of capsicum cultivation under a naturally ventilated medium-cost greenhouse equipped with drip facility. The study was undertaken in the semi-arid region, a village called Saidapur of Sangareddy district near Hyderabad. The primary data were collected directly from the farmer through personal interview. The detailed data required for further evaluation were generated by the cost-accounting method. The feasibility of production under greenhouse was examined with the help of project evaluation methods such as Pay Back Period (PBP), Net Present Worth (NPW), Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR), and Internal Rate of Returns (IRR). The actual worth of economic inputs with subsidy component (75%) provided by the Government was considered for detailed evaluation purposes. The capsicum cultivation under the greenhouse by availing above said subsidy was found highly feasible as indicated from shorter pay-back period, larger net-present worth, benefit-cost ratio of more than unity and IRR more than usual rate of interest of bank loans. However, the results also indicated that capsicum cultivation under a greenhouse without subsidy is not feasible economically.