Economic Analysis of Mentha Production in Punjab Dhaliwa Akashdeep*, Sekhon M.K. Department of Economics and Sociology, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana-141004 *Corresponding author's email: akashdhaliwal96@gmail.com
JELCodes: Q00, Q10, Q11, Q13, Q14 Online published on 20 June, 2017. Abstract This study was conducted to estimate the cost and returns structure, resource use efficiency and constraints faced by farmers in mentha production in Punjab. For the purpose of present study data was collected from 80 farmers belongs to Ludhiana and Moga districts of Punjab. It was observed that farmers use to grow Pepperamint, Spearmint and Koshi varieties of mentha crop. Variable costs on mentha cultivation came out  13972.89 per acre. The highest relative share in variable cost was of weedicide and hoeing (26.52 per cent) followed by insecticide/pesticide use (19.59 per cent). Average productivity of mentha oil extracted was 21.04 liters per acre of sample farmers. The returns on variable costs were about  20019 per acre with higher returns on large farms. The regression analysis highlights the positive relationship of productivity and farm size. The other factors that is, seed, fertilization and insecticides/pesticides significantly affect the yield of crop. The mentha growers experienced several problems such as incidence of insect pests, weed infestation and unfavorable weather. The most important research area emphasized by farmers was to develop higher oil content varieties giving more number of cuttings. Lastly, the study emphasized to the production and marketing constraints for enhancing the income of the farmers. Top Keywords Cost-return, constraints, productivity, supply chain. Top |