Production Economics of Sustainable Soil Management Based Cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea L. Var. Botrytis) in Dhading District of Nepal

Abstract

Study investigated the production economics of sustainable soil management based cauliflower conducted at Nalang VDC of Dhading District in Nepal. It was based on primary data for the year 2012 obtained from randomly selected 60 sustainable soil management based cauliflower producers using pre-tested semi-structured interview schedule. Findings of the study revealed that, per ropani total cost of sustainable soil management based cauliflower production was lower whereas, gross income and gross margin were significantly higher by NRs. 1749.58 and 2173.36 respectively compared to before sustainable soil management practices in the study area. Also, comparatively higher benefit-cost ratio (4.26) and higher return to scale (0.802) was observed from sustainable soil management based cauliflower production. Similarly, production function analysis revealed that one percent increase in the use of hired human labor, expenditure on seed and expenditure on chemical inputs would increase the yield of cauliflower by 0.027, 0.362 and 0.177 percent respectively. Resource use efficiency analysis resulted that the resources were not utilized to their optimum economic level. For optimum allocation of resources expenditure on seed, chemical inputs and organic manure is required to increase by 96.1 percent, 87.5 percent and 72.0 percent respectively whereas, expenditure on human labor is required to decrease by 116.0 percent.