ECONOMICS OF PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF TOMATO IN BAGLUNG, NEPAL
Author:
Ashmit Ojha, Sailesh Shrestha, Deepika Timsina, Bhanu Bhakta Bhattarai, Shiva Sundar Ghimire
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
From February to June 2023, a survey was conducted to evaluate the economics of tomato production and marketing in the Baglung district of Nepal. Data collection involved household surveys, Key Informant Interviews (KII), and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) for primary data, supplemented by secondary data from various publications by the Government of Nepal and other relevant agencies. Altogether, 60 respondents were selected using a simple random sampling method for the study from Baglung Municipality of Baglung district. The data analysis employed descriptive statistical tools, the Cobb-Douglas production function, benefit-cost ratio analysis, and gross margin analysis. Identified problems were addressed using an indexing/scaling method. Economic analysis highlighted the profitability of potato production, revealing an average production cost of NRs. 80,060.22 per ropani, gross returns of NRs. 1,913,750 per ropani, and a gross margin of NRs. 124,984.41 per ropani, with a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 1.56. The Cobb-Douglas production function analysis demonstrated a significant positive relationship between various factors and total income. The study identified four marketing channels, with the Producer-Whole Seller-Retailer-Consumer channel being the most dominant. Key challenges identified in the study area included the need for improved storage facilities, irrigation, training in tomato farming and pest management, mechanization, modernization of farming practices, and price regulation by government/local authorities.
Pages | 32-37 |
Year | 2024 |
Issue | 1 |
Volume | 4 |