ECONOMICS OF PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF APPLE IN HIMACHAL PRADESH AND JAMMU & KASHMIR-A COMPARATIVE STUDY

摘要

Present study was conducted in Kutlu district of Himachal Pradesh and Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir due to higher concentration of area under apple cultivation in theses areas . MVP-MFC ratio revealed that, on average situation human labourand plant protection chemicals were being used efficiently by orchardists in both the states. However, there exists a scope for increasing the levels of manure and fertilizers, expenditure on fixed assets and irrigation since currently they were used sub-optimally on the sampled orchards of Himachal Pradesh. In Jammu & Kashmir sample orchards, however, manure and fertilizers, fixed assets and irrigation revealed significant inefficiencies. Marketing aspect indicated that Channel-A(producer-pre-han>est contractor-commission agent-retailer-consumer) was patronized by about 11 percent of the sample orcahrdists in Himachal Pradesh and more than 17 per cent growers inJ&K. Channel -C (producer—commission agent-wholesaler-retailer-consumer) is largest channel thorough which 56 percent of produce in HP and 64 percent in J&K is routed. This channel was found most popular among apple producers in both the study regions.