A study on financial feasibility and factors influencing production of dragon fruit in Karnataka province in India

Title : A study on financial feasibility and factors influencing production of dragon fruit in Karnataka province in India

Abstract:

The study main objective was to assess the financial feasibility for investment on dragon fruit cultivation using tools such as Benefit cost (B:C) ratio, Net Present Value (NPV), Payback period and internal rate of returns in Karnataka province. The primary data were collected from 45 sample respondents in the Hydrabad-karnataka region of Karnataka Province during the year 2022. The results showed that, the B:C ratio was 1.8 and found to be profitable which could contribute to increase farmers income. Further, NPV indicated the present value of project over its life period of 10 years with discounted at the opportunity cost of capital. The findings revealed that, NPV was found to be Rs.54, 67, 235 per acre in study area. The highest positive NPV showed that, investment in dragon fruit cultivation was profitable venture. The second most important objective was to study the factors influencing the production of dragon fruit. This was analyzed using Cobb-Douglas production function. The results conveyed that, among the selected factors, only three factors such as irrigation charges, labor charges and expenditure on plant protection chemicals were found to be significant at 5 percent. At this backdrop, the study suggests that, the awareness program need to be conducted through extension education agencies and other line departments so that farmers with suitable climatic condition can grow dragon fruit to enhance farm the income.

Biography:

Dr.Amrutha T Joshi has completed Doctoral program in Agricultural Economics during the year 2009 from University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. She is specialized in subjects such as Agricultural Marketing, Agril. Finance & Project Management. She is having vast experience in the field of Teaching, Research and Extension activities for the last 22 years. She has joined as Assistant Professor in the year 1999, now serving as Professor and Head of Department of Agricultural Economics at University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur. She has been associated and trained at national and international institutes such as IFPRI, Washington DC, USA and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi to name few. She is also involved in conducting different projects of economic significance, presently she is working as Principal Investigator for a research project on cost of cultivation of major crops in Karnataka funded by Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission, Bangalore. She as published many policy papers and more than 50 researcher papers on agricultural marketing, agricultural prices, land use, etc. and involved in preparation of bankable projects (feasibility reports) on agriculture for the benefit of farmers.