Cost -return analysis and constraints faced by the finger millet growers in Karnataka

Abstract

Finger millet is an important millet crop which is mainly cultivated as rainfed crop. The present study wasconducted to assess cost of production of finger millet in Karnataka. The study has been carried out based on primary dataand the data were collected from the growers of finger millet with the help of well-structured questionnaire. Tabular analysiswas computed. The total cost of cultivation of finger millet was `44,534 per hectare in which total variable cost constitutes`35,902 and total fixed cost constitutes ` 8,632. The total yield of main product obtained was 24.07 quintals with the farmharvest price of the main product was ` 1,928 per quintal. The total yield of by-product obtained was 2.46 quintals withthe farm harvest price of the main product was `3,370 per quintal. In the cost of cultivation, the highest share contributedwas the cost of human labour with 27.91 per cent which was due to involvement of labourers in major cultivation practicesof finger millet followed by the cost of plant protection chemicals with 1.41 per cent which is because of pest and diseaseincidence and machine labour charges with 18.95 per cent respectively which is due to the increased mechanized operationin agricultural package of practices. Dependence on monsoon, fluctuation in market price and high margin of middlemenwere found to be the major constraints faced by the finger millet growers