PROFITABILITY AND RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY OF PRAWN FARMING IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF SATKHIRA DISTRICT

Abstract

Aquaculture spacially prawn farming has significant contribution to the economy of Bangladesh. This study was designed to assess the profitability of freshwater prawn farming in gher systems at Satkhira District in Bangladesh. The overall objectives of the present study were to examine socio-demographic profile of prawn producing farmers, to assess profitability and resource use efficiency of prawn farming. Satkhira district was selected for the study on the basis of extensive cultivation of prawn. Simple random sampling technique had been used for collecting data from 96 sample farmers through interview schedule. After analyzing the data, per hectare gross return, net return, and gross margin were found to be Tk. 1049112.85, Tk. 414716.24, Tk. 496403.23 respectively. Total costs of prawn production were calculated at Tk. 634848.55 per hectare. Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) was found to be 1.65 for Prawn farming. Thus it was found that prawn farming was profitable. Production function analysis suggested that, among the variables included in the model, cost of prawn fry,cost of fin fingerling, cost of human labor, cost of feed, cost of fertilizer, and cost of lime had a positive and significant effect on the gross return of prawn production, except for cost of water management had a negative and insignificant effect on the gross return of prawn farming. Efficiency analysis indicated that most of the farmers efficiently used their inputs. This study also identified some of the problems and constraints associated with prawn farming. Most of the farmer claimed that the attack of disease was the big obstacal for prawn farming. The problems and constraints, of course, are interrelated with one another and hence, need to be removed comprehensively through an integrated program for the overall development of prawn (Galda shrimp) farming.