PROFITABILITY AND RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY OF MAIZE PRODUCTION IN UDAYAPUR DISTRICT, NEPAL

Author:
Manasha Dahal, Aarati Ghimire, Diwas Dhital, Maniratna Aryal, Tilak Raj Chaulagain

Doi: 10.26480/faer.01.2024.13.21

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

The study entitled “Profitability and Resource Use Efficiency of Maize Production in Udayapur District, Nepal” analyzes the profitability and resource utilization efficiency of maize production in the region. Conducted in May 2023, it surveyed 80 farm households from Triyuga, Belaka, Katari, and Chaudhandigadhi municipalities. Data collection involved semi-structured questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), and Key Informant Interviews (KII), using a clustered sampling technique. MS Excel and SPSS were used for analysis, with results presented through frequencies, percentages, and averages. Findings reveal that 77.5 percent of respondents primarily engage in agriculture. On average, 12.3 kattha of land is allocated to maize cultivation, yielding a net profit of 1780.0735 per kattha and a B/C ratio of 1.21. Costs of seed, fertilizer, and machinery significantly impact maize productivity at varying levels, with seed being the most influential factor. The study indicates a decreasing return to scale (0.881), suggesting inefficiency in resource allocation, particularly in labor. Efficiency ratios below 1 highlight excessive labor allocation, while resources like seed, machinery, and fertilizer are underutilized. To optimize resource allocation, reducing labor expenses by 74 percent while increasing expenditures on seed, fertilizer, and machinery by 98, 36, and 532 percent respectively is recommended. The prevalent practice of maize cultivation for self-consumption poses challenges in quantifying expenses, investments, and profits. Addressing these issues would contribute to enhancing the rural economy.

Pages 13-21
Year 2024
Issue 1
Volume 4