Cost and Return Analysis for Important Kharif Season Crops in Uttar Pradesh

The data on cost of cultivation and returns of major crops were collected from Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welafare, Govt. of India for the year 2017-18. The share of labour power is higher in paddy, maize and groundnut while it is lesser in other pulse crops. In percentage term, the share of labour expenditure in total cost C₃ is highest that is 33.52% on an average in all important crops. In pulses, the share of irrigation expenditure is negligible in total cost, while, in maize and paddy, it is significant. The average expenditure on variable cost in selected seasonal kharif crops is 60.62% and on fixed cost is 30.29% of total cost C₃. The net return (on C₂ cost) is negative in most of the selected crops in kharif season and it is positive in Arhar and sesamum. The average net return in all the selected kharif season crops is negative. The Benefit cost ratio at C₂ is 0.84, 0.85, 0.89, 1.08, 0.89, 0.66, 1.07, 0.76 and 0.88 for Maize, Bajra, Paddy, Arhar, Moong, Urad, Sesamum, groundnut and overall selected kharif season crops, respectively. The B:C ratio, in sugarcane cultivation is 1.6, which is quite higher in relation to selected crops of kharif in Uttar Pradesh in 2017-18. The variation in returns from different crops will lead to unequal distribution of resources among farmers. Thus, suitable purchase methods should be adopted for providing remunerative prices to the farmers.