Comparative Exploration of Traditional versus Improved Cultivation Practices vis-à-vis Return on Investment of Jute Production System in lower Gangetic Plain of India

Abstract

"In the current study, an effort has been conferred to estimate the comparative return value per one-rupee investment for jute cultivation with traditional and improved practices. The research was carried out in four villages of two selected blocks of Murshidabad district in West Bengal and cost concepts were used for the estimation of the return on investment. In this inquiry, all calculations were done as per the land unit of acre (1 acre = 0.406 ha or 3.03 bigha). There were 35.85% savings in case of hired labour costs, while following improved practices over traditional practices. The Cost C2 for improved practices was almost 20% less than the Cost C2 incurred for traditional practices. Both the probability metric, B:C ratio and return on investment had been calculated in this manuscript. The benefit-cost (B:C) ratio over Cost C2 (includes all the production costs) and Cost B1 (total cost excluding the rental value of owned land and imputed value of family labour) for improved practices were 40.16% and 49.62% higher than that of traditional practices, respectively. The return on investment over both the Cost C2 and Cost B1 for improved practices were almost 100% than the traditional practices. That’s why the inclusion of improved technologies like multi-row seed drill, CRIJAF nail weeder, high-quality seeds like JRO 204, talc-based microbial consortium ‘CRIJAF SONA’, etc. are indispensable for jute production. So, it was evident that there was much more profitability in case of jute cultivation with improved practices for the marginal land-holding farmers."