PROFITABILITY OF BORO RICE CULTIVATION IN THE SELECTED AREAS OF NARAIL DISTRICT IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify the major socio-economic characteristics of the boro rice farmers; to assess the profitability of boro rice production farmers; and to identify problem faced by the farmers in rice boro production. The study was undertaken purposively in Lohagar upazila under Norail district. Validated and wellstructured

interview schedule (questionnaire) was used to collect data from 95 rice cultivars during 1st January, 2020 to 1 st February, 2020. Per hectare gross return of boro rice cultivation under small, medium and large farms were Tk. 119120, Tk. 116900 and Tk. 115040, respectively. Gross margin was found to be Tk. 67081, Tk. 62543 and Tk. 59036 per hectare for small, medium and large boro rice farm, respectively. Total net return were estimated as Tk. 35180, Tk. 34126 and Tk. 29336 for small, medium and large boro rice farm per hectare, respectively. Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) were found to be 1.15, 1.13 and 1.08 for small, medium and large rice farm, respectively. Cobb-Douglas production function analysis was carried out for examining the factors affecting the profitability of input use. In most of the cases the coefficients of irrigation, cost of land preparation, human labor cost, cost of manure and cost of pesticide appeared to be positive significant except the negative and significant effect of seed cost and cost of TSP. The values of the coefficient of multiple determination of boro rice production were 0.92 which implied that about 92 percent of the total variation in the gross return could be explained by the included explanatory variables of the model. Lack of fertilizer during cultivation time was the l st problem and lack of storage facility was ranked the last.