Economic evaluation of farming systems for agricultural production in southern Rajasthan

The present investigation was under taken to work out internal cost adjustments in existing farming systems of Southern Rajasthan. A total sample of 120 households consisting of 60 under rainfed and 60 under irrigated situation was selected from two districts- one representing tribal area and the other non-tribal area for the study. Four farming systems (FS) existed in both the rainfed and irrigated areas of Chittorgarh and Banswara districts viz. FS-I: Crop+ Vegetables (C+V), FS-II: Crop + Dairy (C+D), FS-III: Crop + Dairy +Goat (C+D+G) and FS-IV: Crop + Poultry (C+PO). The cost involved in different farming systems were divided into two parts i.e. cost incurred within the farming system and cost incurred from outside the farming system. Internal cost adjustments were more in FS –III in both the districts i.e. 70.21 and 64.35 per cent in Chittorgarh district and 69.83 and 63.38 per cent in Banswara district in rainfed and irrigated conditions, respectively. In Chittorgarh district on per rupee investment basis FS-IV (1.55) in rainfed and FS-I (1.69) in irrigated area were more profitable than other systems. In Banswara district on return per rupee investment basis, FS-IV ((1.57) in rainfed area and FS-I (1.63) in irrigated area were found more profitable than other farming systems. Return per rupee investment (return cost ratio) was more in FS-IV in rainfed condition while FS-I in irrigated condition among the other farming systems in both the districts.