Marketing of any crop starts before sowing or planting of that crop. Sugarcane is an important commercial mainly crop used for sugar production through out the world. India ranks second in area and production of sugarcane in World. Maharashtra ranks second in area and production of sugarcane and ranks first in sugar production in the country. Maharashtra has largest number of sugar factories in operation in the country and majority of them are in co-operative sector and harvesting of sugarcane is mainly carried out by these sugar factories. The sugarcane harvesting is highly labour intensive operation which requires 850 to 1000 man hours/ha. The mechanization of sugarcane harvesting requires huge investment. The present study was undertaken to knowwhether mechanization of sugarcane harvester enhances economic efficiency in marketing of sugarcane by using various economic tools, ratios and partial budget approach. The study is conducted in Kolhapur district in the jurisdiction of Co-operative sugarfactory by collecting data for the year 2011-12 from 4 sugarcane harvester owner, 30 sugarcane cultivators and sugar factory officials.The study concludes that the selected sugar factory has harvested 4.46 per cent sugarcane by Sugarcane harvester tones sugarcane during the year 2011-12. Huge investment of Rs. 113 lakh was made to have sugarcane harvesting unit. The major item of fixedcosts for having sugarcane harvester was interest on working capital which accounts for 56 to 61 per cent followed by depreciation on harvester. The variable costs of sugarcane harvester was to the tune of Rs. 20.15 lakh out of which 60 per cent spent ondiesel. The quantity harvested by a harvester was 14300 tonnes and income generated by the machine was Rs. 43.15 lakh. The partial budget analysis concluded that, mechanical harvesting of sugarcane would results in per hectare net gain of Rs. 4082. Theeconomic efficiency of marketing of sugarcane enhanced due to mechanical harvesting of sugarcane and state can earn Rs.19.67 crores per annum by bringing only 5 per cent of existing sugarcane area under mechanical harvesting. The study suggests that themechanical harvesting of sugarcane should be motivated for enhancing efficiency of marketing of sugarcane.
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