PRODUCTIVITY AND RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY IN RICE FARMING IN SYLHET DISTRICT, BANGLADESH

Abstract

Sylhet is the Northeast part of Bangladesh and its geographical location is little bit different from other districts in Bangladesh. Due to heavy rainfall and extensive march area (hoor), rice is the only mono crop in the study area. Therefore, in this study, an investigation has been made to find out the input productivity and resource use efficiency of rice farm in Sylhet District. In total 120 farmers were selected randomly from three thanas of Sylhet District named Gohainghat, Fenchugonj and Balagonj, where equal number of samples were collected from each thana. Data were collected through farm survey by using a suitable pretested questionnaire. Cobb-Douglas Production Function, Marginal Value Product (MVP) and Marginal Factor Cost (MFC) are used for analysis. To find out productivity and resource use efficiency Cobb Douglas production function are used. The use of fertilizers is statistically significant at 1%, 5%, and 10% level of significance for all categories of farms. The use of inputs like human labour, seed, irrigation, insecticides, power tiller/animal power are also statistically significant but not for all the crops. Findings of the study revealed that the farmers were inefficient of the use of resources, generally, inputs such as fertilizer, seed and insecticides were under-utilized in Boro Paddy under three categories of farms (animal, power and pooled farm). The ratios of the MVP to the MFC were less than unity for Boro and Aman Paddy of all categories of farms except Boro Paddy in animal operated farm. The results show that there is need for making inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilizer, insecticides and machinery affordable and accessible to the farmers so as to improve efficiency. Moreover, policies that encourage the creation of alternative employment opportunities to absorb the excess labour used in rice production should be formulated.