Categories Of Farmers Research Articles

Some features of experimental researches in sheep breeding: to help of young scientists

Organizing and conducting scientific and farm experiment is one of the most important components of any scientific and research work. The features of the modern period of animal husbandry development, the state of the feed base in all categories of farms, the availability of qualified specialists, the level and culture of conducting selection and technological techniques, create the main conditions for reliable performance of experimental researches. In sheep breeding the success of research work on the selection plan depends to a large extent on careful individual accounting of the results of insemination and lambing of ewes. Currently, in different categories of sheep farms crossbreeding is used as one of the methods for faster improvement and increasing the productivity of animals. At the same time, it is not always clear from the materials of many researches how the experimental groups of breeding stock were formed, what rules of selection were observed during artificial insemination, how accounting was carried out during insemination and lambing of ewes, what justifies the calculation of some indicators of economic effectiveness of the research without taking into account important economically useful features. The recommendations on how to eliminate possible errors when conducting research and production experiments by young scientists have been provided in the article. In particular, the main principles of forming experimental groups of sheep by age, productivity and origin have been shown. The necessity of housing all sex and age groups of experimental animals with complete feeding has been noted. The most important condition is the same number of ewes inseminated every day with the semen of each mating stud ram. It has been recommended to use vasectomy teaser rams for the authenticity of the origin of the obtained off spring. Special attention has been paid to the need to take into account all valuable economic useful features studied in the course of scientific and production experiments to calculate some indicators of economic effectiveness when rearing off spring of different origin.

The changing face of agriculture in Tanzania: Indicators of transformation

AbstractMotivationThe extent to which African farming systems are undergoing transformation continues to be strongly debated.PurposeWith a focus on Tanzania, this study assesses whether recent trends in farm behaviour, the structure of farming, and agricultural commercialization and productivity conform to stylized facts about agricultural transformation. In the process, we propose an updated typology of farms that reflects recent changes in the relative importance of different farm categories and sheds light on the heterogeneity found even among smallholder farms.Approach and methodsTo this end, we refer to farm‐household survey data over the period 2008–2014.FindingsWe find that medium‐scale farms and small, farm‐focused, commercialized farms are claiming an increasingly prominent role in Tanzanian agriculture. Farmers are more likely to participate in markets for land and labour, to engage in some forms of agricultural intensification and to exhibit a commercial orientation. Over the study period, the real value of agricultural output grew substantially, mostly reflecting a remarkable expansion of cropland rather than increased land productivity. Labour productivity also grew, driven by a reduction in labour intensity. At the same time, Tanzania is experiencing a dramatic movement of labour out of agriculture.Policy implicationsTogether, the evidence suggests that Tanzania is on the cusp of larger transformational processes in the decades to come. With this knowledge, policies can be thoughtfully shaped to support agricultural growth (particularly in land productivity) and meet farmers' diverse needs.

CURRENT STATE OF DAIRY LIVESTOCK IN UKRAINE

Introduction. The article examines the current state and dynamics of dairy farming in Ukraine as one of the leading industries. Its purpose is to ensure milk production amounts that meet the standards of state food security and conditions for expanding the export potential of the domestic economy. Despite the fact that milk production in Ukraine is profitable, it does not restrain the negative trends of catastrophic reduction of cows and milk production. The level of development of the agro-industrial complex, including dairy farming, depends on the social and food stability of the economic system of the district, region and the state as a whole. The purpose of this work is to assess the state of dairy farming in Ukraine, the development of theoretical provisions and practical recommendations for improving the efficiency of production and sale of milk in agricultural enterprises. Research methodology. The methods of analysis and synthesis, abstract-logical are used (formation of theoretical generalizations and conclusions), economic-mathematical, statistical, comparison and generalization. Results. The milk production and its structure, the number of cows and their structure by categories of farms in Ukraine for 1990-2019; the volume and structure of gross agricultural output for 1990-2019 (at constant prices in 2016) were studied in the article. The grouping of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine by the number of cows, which was available at the beginning of 2020; an assessment of the efficiency of milk production and sales in agricultural enterprises of Ukraine for 2005, 2010 and 2018 have been provided. Conclusions. It was found that the purchase price of milk, both from agricultural enterprises and from households supplied to milk processing enterprises, is almost three times lower than the final retail price. It is proposed to increase the economic efficiency of milk production by resolving the contradictions between agricultural and dairy enterprises, as well as other subjects of agro-industrial production in the process of achieving their economic interests in providing the population with quality dairy products. Keywords: agro-industrial production, livestock industry, dairy farming, economic efficiency, productivity, profitability.

Cost analysis and economic optimization of small-scale dairy production systems in Mexico

Accounting and mathematical modeling methods were combined to analyze the cost structure and economic optimization of small-scale dairy production systems in the present study. Information on the technical, economic, and production characteristics of 72 farms was obtained over a two-year period. Four strata of farms were defined using a random stratified sampling design with proportional allocation. To evaluate production costs, two accounting methods were used: (1) the activity-based budgeting (AB) method, which counted the actual cost of feed cultivation and family labor (FL) as a percentage of total feed and labor costs for each stratum, and (2) the standard accounting (SA) method, which estimated production costs according to the cost of purchasing 100% of feed and hiring 100% of labor. Based on the results of the AB method, four scenarios were developed and adapted to a mixed integer linear programming model to predict the percentage of feed cultivation and FL that maximizes economic benefits. The base scenario evaluated the actual percentages of feed cultivation and FL employed by each farm category, and scenarios I, II, and III simulated the purchase of feed and hire of labor at 20%, 50%, and 100%, respectively. The results showed that 100% dependence on the purchase of feed and hire of labor increases the daily production cost by 20% compared to the base scenario in the four evaluated strata. The mathematical model indicated that the production of less than 90% of feed and use of less than 80% family labor significantly decrease the income in each analyzed stratum. Accordingly, production under the simulated conditions of scenarios I, II, and III is economically and financially non-viable.

Agricultural exports from Russia to Asian countries: Analysis of prospects and trends

The recent recovery in Russian agriculture is due not only to the producers support from the State, but also to an increase in the production of foodstuffs substituting the imported ones. This was a result of negative foreign policy factors, and now further promising guidelines for Russian agriculture are expected to be developed by the government. The article is relevant due to the fact that the expansion of agricultural exports is a strategically important task for the entire Russian economy. The article analyzes the dynamics of agricultural production in Russia by farm categories over the past 19 years, as well as the production of main types of import-substituting foods for 2017-2018. The main agricultural exports to the Asian countries are identified and grouped. The current state and the possibility of a potential increase in exports of agricultural products by sectors of agro-industry have been studied. On the example of priority agro industries, ensuring the strategic expansion of exports to Asian countries, the current financial and economic state of the largest agro-industrial enterprises has been studied using special indicators of the SPARK system (system of professional analysis of markets and firms in Russia). The analysis showed that more than 90% of companies fall into the low-risk group by composite risk indicator, which is undoubtedly a positive development. This increases the likelihood of these entities stable development and the growth of their exports to Asian countries.

Agricultural exports from Russia to Asian countries: Analysis of prospects and trends

The recent recovery in Russian agriculture is due not only to the producers support from the State, but also to an increase in the production of foodstuffs substituting the imported ones. This was a result of negative foreign policy factors, and now further promising guidelines for Russian agriculture are expected to be developed by the government. The article is relevant due to the fact that the expansion of agricultural exports is a strategically important task for the entire Russian economy. The article analyzes the dynamics of agricultural production in Russia by farm categories over the past 19 years, as well as the production of main types of import-substituting foods for 2017-2018. The main agricultural exports to the Asian countries are identified and grouped. The current state and the possibility of a potential increase in exports of agricultural products by sectors of agro-industry have been studied. On the example of priority agro industries, ensuring the strategic expansion of exports to Asian countries, the current financial and economic state of the largest agro-industrial enterprises has been studied using special indicators of the SPARK system (system of professional analysis of markets and firms in Russia). The analysis showed that more than 90% of companies fall into the low-risk group by composite risk indicator, which is undoubtedly a positive development. This increases the likelihood of these entities stable development and the growth of their exports to Asian countries.

Income and Expenditure Pattern of Marginalised Categories of Rural Punjab

ABSTRACT TThe present study was undertaken to examine the income and expenditure pattern of marginalized categories in rural Punjab. The data were collected from 120 households consisting of agricultural labour, marginal and small farmers of Amritsar and Ludhiana districts. It was concluded that income and expenditure pattern was directly related to farm-size. As the farm size increased the farm expenditure also increased. The proportion of deficit households was more in the agricultural labour category due to their low incomes. In the small farm category, the proportion of deficit households was more as compared to the marginal farm category on account of higher expenditure on non-food items and social ceremonies.

Establishing nationally representative benchmarks of farm-gate nitrogen and phosphorus balances and use efficiencies on Irish farms to encourage improvements

Agriculture faces considerable challenges of achieving more sustainable production that minimises nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses and meets international obligations for water quality and greenhouse gas emissions. This must involve reducing nutrient balance (NB) surpluses and increasing nutrient use efficiencies (NUEs), which could also improve farm profitability (a win-win). To set targets and motivate improvements in Ireland, nationally representative benchmarks were established for different farm categories (sector, soil group and production intensity). Annual farm-gate NBs (kg ha−1) and NUEs (%) for N and P were calculated for 1446 nationally representative farms from 2008 to 2015 using import and export data collected by the Teagasc National Farm Survey (part of the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network). Benchmarks for each category were established using quantile regression analysis and percentile rankings to identify farms with the lowest NB surplus per production intensity and highest gross margins (€ ha−1). Within all categories, large ranges in NBs and NUEs between benchmark farms and poorer performers show considerable room for nutrient management improvements. Results show that as agriculture intensifies, nutrient surpluses, use efficiencies and gross margins increase, but benchmark farms minimise surpluses to relatively low levels (i.e. are more sustainable). This is due to, per ha, lower fertiliser and feed imports, greater exports of agricultural products, and for dairy, sheep and suckler cattle, relatively high stocking rates. For the ambitious scenario of all non-benchmark farms reaching the optimal benchmark zone, moderate reductions in farm nutrient surpluses were found with great improvements in profitability, leading to a 31% and 9% decrease in N and P surplus nationally, predominantly from dairy and non-suckler cattle. The study also identifies excessive surpluses for each level of production intensity, which could be used by policy in setting upper limits to improve sustainability.

Development of small business in the agricultural sector of the Krasnodar territory economy

The national project for the development of small and medium-sized businesses has identified one of the objectives of improving the efficiency of small agricultural enterprises and the creation of new agricultural business structures. To do this, it is necessary to identify the economic problems of small agricultural enterprises and help them solve them, including the creation of favorable conditions that stimulate development. The purpose of the work was to assess the development of small agricultural entrepreneurship in the Krasnodar region and develop recommendations for its activation.Small forms of agricultural entrepreneurship in the Krasnodar region over the years of formation and development have shown their viability and high production potential. At the same time, their contribution to food production remains small. The article examines the formation and development of peasant (farm) farms and individual entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector of the economy of the Krasnodar region. The main modern problems hindering the development of small agricultural farms and their associations, agricultural cooperatives are identified. Attention is focused on the “weak” places of state and regional support, and measures are proposed to improve it. It is proposed to make changes in the distribution of budget funds to support agricultural enterprises, increasing the share of small businesses, to ensure equal access of all categories of farms to preferential lending. When distributing the per-hectare subsidy, take into account the conditions of agricultural production. It is necessary to regulate the mechanisms of commodity interventions, purchases of agricultural products for state needs, and preferential tariffs for transportation.

Current state of the fishing industry in the Krasnodar region and its contribution to the country's food security

The paper contains information about the current state of the fishing industry of the Krasnodar territory, the resource base of which is industrial fishing and aquaculture, which is represented by various categories of farms (pond, cage, basin, mariculture). Detailed data on the production of aquaculture products for various categories of farms in the Krasnodar territory are provided. The most developed areas are pasture and pond fish farming, accounting for more than 90% of the region's commercial aquaculture products. The main cultivated objects are various breeds of carp (carp) (Cyprinus carpio), white carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), mottled carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and white Cupid (Ctenopharyngodon idella). The characteristic of the mariculture of the region is given. The results of industrial fishing in the Azov-Black sea basin are considered. The contribution of the fishing industry of the Krasnodar territory to the country's food security is determined.

ДИВЕРСИФИКАЦИЯ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ СЕЛЬХОЗТОВАРОПРОИЗВОДИТЕЛЕЙ: СПЕЦИФИКА И ТЕНДЕНЦИИ ПО КАТЕГОРИЯМ ХОЗЯЙСТВ

ДИВЕРСИФИКАЦИЯ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ СЕЛЬХОЗТОВАРОПРОИЗВОДИТЕЛЕЙ: СПЕЦИФИКА И ТЕНДЕНЦИИ ПО КАТЕГОРИЯМ ХОЗЯЙСТВ

Перлина - новий сорт суниці садової (Fragaria ananassa L.) для споживання ягід свіжими та для заморозки

Strawberry is the most spreaded small fruit crop in many countries. In Ukraine sn 2018 this crop total area was 8.3 thus. ha, among them 7.9 thus. ha fruit-bearing in all the categories of farms. The gross berries output was 62.3 thus. tons, the average yield being 7.7 t/ha. The Dutch bank «Rаdobank» carried out in April of 2016 the researches on the small fruit production in Europe and revealed that strawberry even now is the most popular small fruit crop. The strawberry Ukrainian and foreign cvs and elite forms were studied applying the methods of the primary strain inves-tigation and state strain testing in the small fruit patches planted in2012-2016 under the field conditions of the Northern part of the Ukraine’s Lisosteppe, namely: at the Institute of Horticulture NAAS of Ukraine. The varieties – standards were the Ukrainian Hercules, English Elegance, Dutch Elsanta and Italian Alba. As a result the new middle-ripening Ukraini-an cultivar Perlyna was selected as the best according to its signs. Perlyna was obtained by means of the intervarietal hybridization (cvs Present and Elsanta) sn 2004. The authors are V.V. Pavliuk, K. M. Kopan, V. H. Kopan. The berries ripe 2-3 days later than ’Elsanta’ and 2-3 days earlier than and ’Polka’. The bushes are high and vigour, not branchy, with firm high floriferous shoots and dark-green hardish leaves. Resistance to the leaves diseases is high. The berries are high marketable and large (the mass of average is 15 g, maximum 35 g), prolonged broad-conic, being ripe fully dark-red brilliant. The flesh is dense red aromatic of kind sour-sweet taste, in accordance with the multi-year data it contains 7.5 % of dry substances, 3.5 % of sugars, 0.95-1.0 % of organic acids as well as 0.440 mg of pectine substances and 45 mg of vitamin ’C ’ per 100 g of . Under the sufficient humid content the berries size exceeds that of ’Prysviata ’, ’Zenga Zengana’ and ’Polka ’. The yield is higher (18-20 t/ha) than that of the varieties ’Elsanta ’and ’Present ’ under the one-row planting ( 0.8x0.25 m). The cultivar is winter-hardy and drought- resistant. ’Perlyna’ is entered into the State Register of Plant Varieties Suitable for Dissemination in Ukraine. Certificate 181079 on the State Registration of the Plant Cultivar (December 4, 2018). Patent 190373 on the Plant Cultivar (April 12.2019).

СТРУКТУРНЫЕ СДВИГИ РАЗВИТИЯ АГРАРНОГО СЕКТОРА РОССИИ В РАМКАХ РЕАЛИЗАЦИИ НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫХ ПРИОРИТЕТОВ

Purpose: to study the problem of structural changes in the development of the agricultural sector in Russia within the framework of the national priorities implementation. Materials and methods: the synthetic tools of the study are based on the methods of economic statistics, which helped to analyze the structural dynamics of the country's agricultural sector. The object of the research was the agrarian structure of the Russian agricultural sector. The statistical analysis was carried out in the context of individual categories of farms. Results. The problems of structural changes in the agricultural sector of Russia within the framework of the implementation of national priorities are dealt with. For this, the methodology for calculating structural changes in agriculture and the mining industry, as well as the agricultural sector in the context of certain categories of farms, was used. The analysis is carried out for agricultural organizations, peasant (farmer) households. The problem of structuring the agrarian sector of the Russian economy is considered as a systemic task of state management of the industry, reduced to the formation of optimal proportions between the elements of the agrarian structure and their development. The results of agrarian reforms in agriculture for the period 2006–2019 are presented. A comparative characteristic of the options for organizing large-scale agro-industrial production in Russia and abroad is given. Conclusions. The presented dynamics of structural changes in agriculture on the basis of linear and quadratic coefficients makes it possible to determine the effectiveness of the state agricultural policy in the context of the implementation of national priorities. It has been substantiated that in the mid-term strategic development the intensity of structural changes in agriculture will be determined by the development trends of the small-format sector of the economy, including the one through the system of agricultural cooperation.

АНАЛИЗ СОВРЕМЕННОГО СОСТОЯНИЯ КОНКУРЕНТОСПОСОБНОСТИ СЕЛЬСКОГО ХОЗЯЙСТВА КАЗАХСТАНА В УСЛОВИЯХ РЫНОЧНЫХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ

The article assesses the competitiveness of the country’s agriculture, which is necessary for establishment and sustainable development of Kazakhstan’s economy. The authors used the sectoral principle, i.e., the distribution by sector or activity area in agriculture, based on agricultural competitiveness classification. For agricultural producers environment implementation of investment process mechanism becomes prerequisites for organizing public investment procedures as functioning subjects of the national investment market. Nowadays the analysis of average indicators of food consumption such as the agricultural production structure by categories of farms, and the number and specific weight of breeding stock in all categories of households revealed problems regarding food security in Kazakhstan. It is concluded that taking into account all the plans and capacity utilization at the processing enterprises, there is an excellent potential for competitiveness in the Kazakh domestic market and even in foreign markets. In modern Kazakhstan conditions, theoretical and practical analysis of the competitiveness essence, its manifestation specifics can contribute to development of high-priority concerns which improve the efficiency of the market relations and economic success of Kazakh agricultural producers

The development level and economic efficiency of vegetable production in the Krasnoyarsk region

The problem of increasing the development level of vegetable subcomplex is considered in the presented work. The conducted research testifies to reduction of manufacture volumes in vegetable production and, as a consequence, dissatisfaction of the population demand. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that by category of farms the greatest reduction is observed in the sector of personal subsidiary production, although it is the main supplier of vegetable products. In order to change this situation, it is proposed to create a wholesale and distribution center on a cooperative basis. Its formation will not only create conditions for the effective supply of vegetable products to the population of the region, but will enable the organization of a favorable social environment in rural areas.

АНАЛИЗ СОВРЕМЕННОГО СОСТОЯНИЯ И ДИНАМИКИ РАЗВИТИЯ РАСТЕНИЕВОДСТВА В РОССИИ

This article presents the results of the analysis of the current state of crop production in Russia, as well as the dynamics of the main indicators of the industry. Crop production occupies a position of primary importance in the agro-industrial complex of the country, since the cost of agricultural products in actual prices amounted to 5348.8 billion rubles in 2018 (according to preliminary data of 2019 – 5907.9 billion rubles), including crop production – 2756.1 billion rubles (3160.0 billion rubles – in 2019) or 51.5% (53.5% in 2019); the index of crop production – 98.5% (in 2019 – 106.1%). The gross grain harvest in 2018 amounted to 113.3 million tons; in the structure of grain production, the largest share belongs to wheat – 63.69% or 72.1 million tons, then barley – 15.00% (16.99 million tons), corn – 10.08% (11.4 million tons), oats – 4.17% (4.7 million tons), rye – 1.69% (1.9 million tons), rice – 0.92% (1.0 million tons), buckwheat – 0.82% (0.9 million tons) and other crops – 7.79% (8.8 million tons). The most favorable situation was with such technical crops as soy and rapeseed. In 2018, record harvests of soybeans and rapeseed were collected – 4026.8 and 1988.7 thousand tons, respectively. The volume of vegetable production in all categories of farms for the period 2014-2018 increased from 12821.02 to 13685.23 thousand tons; the yield and marketability of products also increased. The number of vegetables and melons per population was 76.18 % in 2018.

TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC LEAFY VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

The study was carried out to examine the technical efficiency of organic and inorganic leafy vegetable production in Ogun State, Nigeria. This study employed the use of multistage sampling technique in selecting one Local Government from each of the four ADPs zones in Ogun state using simple random sampling. A total of one hundred and seven (107) respondents were selected using multi-stage sampling technique and interviewed with the aid of well-structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier production function for the technical efficiency of the farmer. The study reveals that majority of the farmers practicing organic leafy vegetable and inorganic leafy vegetable farming are predominantly males and are married. The mean technical efficiency of the farmers was 0.679. This indicates a fair level of technical efficiency of leafy vegetable production in the study area. More importantly, the study showed that there is no difference between the two categories of farms in terms of technical inefficiencies. Other results from the estimated inefficiency model show that the age, educational level, household size, gender and age square are significant determinants of technical inefficiency. Gender, household size, extension agents’ visit and age squared have negative coefficients with consequent implication of decrease in technical inefficiency level as these variables increase. Age, level of education, farming experience, marital status and socio economic group have positive coefficients implying an increase in technical inefficiency level as these variables increase. The study recommends that the government should introduce the farmers to formal education through adult literacy education and establishment of demonstration farms should be strengthened among the farmers.

Trends in the Production, Consumption, Import of Vegetables and Potatoes in the Russian Federation

Vegetables and potatoes are the most valuable food and sources of vitamins, coarse fibers, biologically active substances and amino acids for a human being. The consumption of vegetables has a beneficial effect on the human health. The growing population in the world causes the increase in the production of vegetable crops and potatoes. Over the recent decade the world production of vegetables and potatoes has been constantly increasing. The production grows mainly due to the leading countries: China, India, the USA, and Turkey. The Russian Federation is the eighth in the world by the production, and is one of the main importers of these products in the world. In the present article, the production and consumption of potatoes and vegetables in the Russian Federation have been ana-lyzed. The statistical data on federal districts have been analyzed for the following indicators: volumes of production and consumption, and import by federal districts. Besides, the cultivated areas, the yield and production by categories of farms of the Russian Federation have been considered. The factors that have impact on the development of the vege-tables and potatoes production have been determined. The areas for solving the problems associated with the market of vegetables and potatoes in the regions have been suggested. The indicators of vegetables and potatoes production and consumption (for food purposes) in the Russian Federation have been calculated.

Присельские пастбища – важная кормовая база для животных индивидуального сектора

Abstract. The work purpose – to get information about the modern state of natural lands (rural pastures) which a cattle and sheep of individual sector are based on and to offer measures on renewal and maintainance of natural vegetation. Technique and objects of a research. The statistical analysis in dynamics of number of cattle and sheep, including on categories of farms is made. The geobotanical description of the vegetation is carried out on registration platforms of 100 m² to the O. Drude’s system. Determination of biological productivity of a vegetable cover was carried out by a hay crop in the same place (from 0.5 m² in sixfold frequency). The objects of our research are the village pastures. Results and practical importance. The analysis of a livestock of animals on categories of farms of Stavropol region is shown. For the last 18 years population in an individual sector, including peasant (farmer) farms and farms of the population increased by 1.6 times. Within the studied communities vegetation modifications with the dominating plant species are revealed: Achillea setacea, Artemisia austriaca, Poa bulbosa, etc. They are spatially unhomogeneous, on specific composition poor. The quantity of types on the registration square (100 m²) averages 24, with fluctuations from 17 to 28. An assessment of fodder potential of natural grass stand degradaded, extents of their degradation is given. Grass stand degradaded, has poor quality of a forage. In its structure up to 74 % of the not virgin land species which do not have feeding value: Artemisia austriaca, Convolvulus arvense, Erodium cicutarium, etc. Scientific novelty. Negative consequences of unsystematic pasturage of the cattle on the limited area of the rural pastures which are under authority of municipal units are shown. Restoration of the degradaded areas of rural pastures by method of agrosteppes is recommended. In its basis – use of seeds of wild-growing steppe herbs.

Measurement of Farm Productivity of Rice: A Case of Bangladesh

The focus of this study is to assess rice production in the different category of farms in Bangladesh. The relevant data were collected from secondary source collected by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) under the Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia (VDSA) project. A total of 280, 318, 365 and 349 sample farmers were selected for the years of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively and the selected farmers were categorized into marginal, small, medium and large categories. Descriptive statistics were used to measure the profitability of rice production. In the study areas, rice farming was profitable for the selected years for all category of farmers but large and medium scale farmers received more profit than small and marginal farmers. Per hectare net return from rice production by small farmers was Tk.31324.28 in 2009 and Tk. 21776.97 in 2012 which provides a decreasing picture of profit for them. Cobb-Douglas stochastic cost frontier analysis was used to measure economic efficiencies. The regression result shows that estimated values of the relevant coefficients i.e., fertilizer cost, machinery cost, human labour cost, seed cost and herbicides cost had the positive and significant impact on the gross return of rice production and the coefficient of pesticide was negatively significant. So, there is a scope for increasing return from rice production by increasing human labour, seed, fertilizer, machinery and herbicide uses since the coefficients of these parameters were positive and significant. The study will help to policymakers for the development of all category rice farmers especially the small and marginal farmers of Bangladesh.