Year: 2013 | Month: December | Volume 58 | Issue 4
Crop Production in Rainfed Agrarian Environment: A Study on Resource use, Costs and Returns and Constraints in Chilli Production in Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu
S.J. Balaji
K. Chandran
DOI:10.5958/J.0976-4666.58.4.018
Abstract:
Resource endowments specific to a given agrarian region determine pattern of input use and efficiency, thereby costs and returns involved in crop production. Scarcity of water is the foremost factor that critically limits the economic potential and restricts a farmer from maximising his output; thereby
profit, despite the role of other factors like seeds, manures, fertilizers etc. Using Cobb-Douglas production function, we examined the influence of such factors on output of chilli in two different production conditions, namely irrigated and rainfed, within a dry land agricultural system by using
primary data. Results revealed that number of irrigation significantly increased chilli output. Factors like seeds, manures, fertilizers and plant protection chemicals also had significant positive impact, with varying degrees under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Still, inefficiency was observed in
resource use, particularly in labour (in both conditions) and seed-rate (in rainfed condition). Costs and prices realised were higher in irrigation crop production, which ultimately resulted in increased returns. Shortage of agricultural labourers, high wage rates, excess rain during harvest but paucity of water at seed germination and early growth stages followed by pest and disease incidences were critical constraints in chilli production.
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