An economic analysis of sugarcane based cropping system in eastern plain of Uttar Pradesh

JITENDRA SINGH, H.K. SAXENA and G. P. SINGH¹

Department of Agricultural Economics,

College of Agriculture,

G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology,

Pantnagar-263145 (U. S. Nagar, Uttarakhand)

¹Department of Agricultural Economics,

SMMTPG College, Ballia (U. P.)

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted in Faizabad district of U.P., during the year 2000-01, which revealed that the average size of holding was about 3.06 ha in the out-side area as compared to 2.73 ha in the command area of sugar factories. The cropping pattern in the out-side area was similar to that in the command area with a slight variation in Zaid season where maize replaced urad. The costs and returns showed that larger farm invests were more in case of sugarcane planted particularly in the command area of sugar factories. The returns from sugarcane planted were increasing with the increase in the size of farms in the command area of the sugar factories. The returns from sugarcane planted on the farms in out-side area of sugar factories were much lower than on the farms in command area. On the medium farms, average command area of sugar factories related to contribution of employment days of all the crops taken for the study was higher. Thus, the command area was more employment generating in case of all the crops on the same farm size group. In the out-side area of sugar factories the employment days were found increasing with the increase in the size group of farms in case of all the crops except ratoon. It was also observed during study period that the generation of family labour days was higher in out-side area. The per farm analysis showed that paddy, sugarcane and wheat were such crops which generated maximum employment days on the larger farms in the command area. In out-side area, same pattern of employment generation was also noticed in all the crops under study. Agriculture sector was the prime contributor to employment days in the command area. However, in out-side area of sugar factories too, the same trend to employment generation was also there in the area under study. The present study suggests that the number of sugar factory must be installed in the area under study by the government. The extension agencies of the state government should arrange for their timely supply of seeds of suitable varieties to the concerned sugar factories.