Profitability analysis of paddy production in different seasons in Bangladesh: Insights from the Haor

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the cost-benefit per hectare of rice production in the haor region in Bangladesh. For doing so, the multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect cross-sectional data during 2018 from four haor districts producing rice in Bangladesh. To achieve the purpose, a total of 368 randomly selected farming households from Habiganj, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, and Sylhet districts were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done utilizing descriptive statistics and cost and return analysis. The result revealed that labor costs constituted the largest proportion of gross operating expenses, followed by fertilizer, irrigation, tillage, insecticides and herbicides, and threshing cost. The cost-benefit analysis finding also shows that rice is a profitable enterprise in the haor areas as the lower production cost compared to return. Because of the amount of input used and the price of output, the profitability differs between different seasons, however. The model shows that cost of seed, human labor cost, cost of TSP, cost of MoP, and cost of irrigation were the key factors that influenced rice production. This study also identified some of the problems related to rice production in haor areas. Lower output price, higher input price, unavailability of short growth duration high yielding varieties, and embankment damages, etc., are key obstacles to rice production. Therefore, this study provides the government's concerned authority with appropriate suggestions and policy recommendations to solve the farmers' issues that could boost rice productivity in the haor areas and contribute to food security and self-sufficiency in rice cultivation.