PROFITABILITY ANALYSIS AND RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY OF JUTE IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF GOPALGANJ DISTRICT IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

Jute has always played an important role in the economy of Bangladesh.The objectives of the present study to determine the socioeconomic condition, profitability, resource use efficiency, problems of the farmers. The present study was conducted at Muksudpur Upazilla of Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. Simple random sampling was used to select the respondents. To achieve the purpose of the study total 60 respondents were selected. The amount of human labor used for jute cultivation was 115 man days per hectare. Total cost of human labor amounted to Tk. 40250 per hectare. Total variable cost was Tk 57735 per hectare for jute production. Per hectare interest on operating capital was Tk 1924.5. The study revealed that total cost, gross return and net return of the jute production is Tk. 77659.5, Tk. 96,016.50 as well as Tk. 18357 respectively. It was evident from the study that the benefit cost ratio of jute farming was 1.24. In the study area, use of insecticide, fertilizer and seed for jute farming was under used as well as labour and cowdung were over used. To determine the factors that affecting the production and gross return Cobb Douglas Production function was used where labor, seed, as well as fertilizer were statistically significant. In the study area various problems which were faced by farmers such as lack of capital, high price of fertilizers and insecticides, scarcity of good quality seeds, attack by pest and disease, lack of training, lack of adequate transport facilities, lack of storage facilities, lack of marketing facilities, and lack of market information. To solve the problems some recommendations were made.