Input utilization and constraints of cotton production in Punjab.

摘要

An analysis was carried out to study the input utilization pattern and input used in cotton production in Punjab. A survey was conducted during 2010-2011 on 120 farm households having various sizes of land holdings i.e. marginal, small, semi medium, medium and large numbered 60 each from 2 cotton growing district of Punjab were selected. The study revealed that the total cost on cotton crop cultivation was Rs. 38377/ha. The returns over variable costs of the cotton growers came out to be Rs 62864.50/ha in the Punjab state. It was further found that cotton growers facing large number of constraints in Punjab viz., quality and high price of Bt seed (100%), labor shortage (75.8%), availability and price of fertilizer (85.8%), lack of knowledge about package of practices (65.0%), inadequate irrigation facilities (52.0%), low availability of irrigation water (38.3%), incidence of diseases and pests attack (100%), lack of genuine plant protection chemicals (25.8%), lack of capital resources (98.7%), lack of credit availability from institutional sources (92.5%), high cost of credit (95.0%). However, 100 per cent of the farmers are facing the problem of low price of farm produce at the time of harvesting, price fluctuation and lack of timely information on market prices. These problems are much severe among the small and marginal farmers due to their small land base and crunch of capital and other resources.