FINANCIAL PROFITABILITY AND FACTORS AFFECTING MUSTARD PRODUCTION IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF PABNA DISTRICT

Abstract

Mustard is one of the most important oil crop in Bangladesh. The present study was conducted to estimate the financial profitability and factors affecting mustard production in selected areas of Pabna district. Two union named Pakshi and Sahapur in Ishwardi upazilla were purposively selected for the study. Total number of samples for the study were 75, which were selected through simple random sampling. Primary data were collected during the period of January to February, 2021. Financial profitability and CobbDauglas production function model were used to achieve the main objectives of the study.

The study's main findings demonstrate that mustard farming is profitable. The total cost

of

output per hectare was Tk. 69595.83. The gross return and net return per hectare were Tk.

92313.26

and Tk. 22717.43 respectively. Mustard yield per hectare was found to be 1711.62 kg. The Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) was discovered to be 1.33, implying that a taka invested in mustard production yielded Tk. 1.33 in return. Returns to scale was increasing in the Cobb-Dauglas production function. Human labor, seed, TSP, and insecticide had a positive and significant effect on Mustard yield, according to the study. The study identified some of the most serious issues that mustard farmers mentioned. Financial limits, technical issues, natural problems, and marketing issues have all been identified as obstacles for mustard farmers. The most important financial challenges are the high wage rate and increased input prices. Harvesting and drying problems are the most serious technical problems in the study area. The majority of farmers recognized temperature fluctuations and seasonal variation as a critical natural problem. Transportation problem is the most prominent of the marketing issues. Hence, some suggestions were given to tackle the challenges faced by the farmers. These are; availability of all necessary inputs at a reasonable price should be ensured, a government procurement center might be set up to purchase mustard from farmers at a set price, DAE should improve the field level service provided by field workers (SAAOs) in order to provide farmers with accurate information, suggestions and advice on mustard growing etc.