District wise cost-benefit analysis of major crops in arid region of western Rajasthan

摘要

In arid region of Western Rajasthan more than 50 per cent of geographical area is put under cultivation of crops. Predominantly cultivated crops are : pearl millet in cereals, clusterbean, moth bean and mung bean in grain legumes and sesame (til) in oil seeds during monsoon season; whereas wheat in cereals, mustard in oilseeds, gram in pulses and cumin in spices are cultivated in areas wherever irrigation through canal, tube well etc is available during winter season. In the present study we have confined to four major rainfed crops of Western Rajasthan namely pearl millet, moth bean, guar and sesame for working out cost benefit analysis in all the districts. The technique of input-output analysis is used as a basis for determining the cost-benefitrelationship.In order to compute cost of cultivation, district wise data in respect of total area, and production of crop, costs of ploughing, planking, sowing, fertilizers, irrigation farm harvest, price and rainfall were obtained from Agricultural Statistics, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Jaipur for year 2006-07[l], whereas, the corresponding cost of seeds were taken from Rajasthan Seeds Corporation Limited, Jaipur [2]. We have excluded labour cost in respect of agricultural operations like weeding, harvesting and threshing etc. because it is assumed to be contributed by family labour which has no opportunity cost at present in these arid areas. While calculating total returns the returns due to by products of these crops have not been included [3].