Economic study of nursery business: Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) as a case

Abstract

The study was conducted in some selected plant nurseries in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to assess the socio-economic characteristics, plants species composition, economic analysis and main problems faced by the nursery owners in nursery business on 1 st December 20016 to 15 March 2017. A total of 162 nurseries were identified in the studied area out of which 48 nurseries were selected from five zones of DNCC. Most of the nursery owners (72.92%) were found to operate their nursery business in the road side without any legal approval. A total of 329 plant species of different families were identified from the study area. Among them there was identified 60 species of fruits, 20 species of timber, 81 species of flowers, 114 species of ornamental, 23 species of medicinal, 13 species of spices and 17 species of vegetables plants. Ornamental plants species were the most preferred species or demandable species in DNCC. The nursery owners of DNCC were involved with plants production, distribution (sale), landscaping and gardening, roof top gardening, rental services, sale of nursery equipments like- spray machine, secateurs, irrigation instruments, fertilizer & hormone, garden soil, shade net, seedling tray, seeds, books etc. In the studied it was observed that the nurseries owners’ in the studied area (DNCC) maximum quantity of plants species (71.15%) were purchased from others nursery and minimum quantity (28.85%) of plants species were produced in their nursery or production field. In this analysis it was observed that the demand for ornamental plants has relatively skyrocketed than compared to any other species present in the studied area in terms of both sale volume (67.86%) as well as number of plants (33.63%). The sampled nurseries owners averagely sold of 90264 seedlings which average sale value were TK.15,88,92,239.00. Moreover, the average cost of production of a sapling is amounted Tk. 11.09 per unit and the average selling price is Tk. 25.74 per unit. Benefit cost ratio was calculated as 3.11 of the nursery business in DNCC that is higher than 1. Thus, the present finding revealed that nursery business is a profitable business in the studied area. Permanent nursery market was the main constraint for the nursery owners of DNCC.