Economic Affairs

This article is an output of the late led investigation entitled ‘Impact of Neem Covered Urea on Production, Productivity, and Soil Health in India’ across six major agricultural states of India. A sample of 2200 farmers growing major crops using Neem Coated Urea (NCU) and Normal Urea (NU) under irrigated and un-irrigated conditions was selected randomly. Data was elicited for the agriculture year 2016–17 through a survey method. The per acre paid-out costs incurred by both NCU and NU users with respect to ploughing and sowing, seed/purchase of seedlings, organic/FYM, normal urea/neem coated urea, chemical fertilizers, plant protection chemicals, irrigation charges, harvesting & threshing charges, hired labour charges (including ploughing charges till planting, cost or sowing/transplanting), imputed value of family labour, hired labour (amount paid) and maintenance costs on assets were worked out by way of comparing the economics of NCU and NU usage. The results reveal that the total paid-out costs of paddy have slightly increased in respect of NCU, as compared to NU. However, the net returns received amount to ` 23,616/-per acre and ` 19,517/-per acre, respectively. As regards tur, per acre total paid-out cost works out to ` 12,695 for NCU as compared to NU at ` 12,149 with a net return of ` 6,155 and ` 6,916, respectively. The paid-out costs incurred on cultivation of Sugarcane amount to ` 36,384 for NCU, as against ` 33,193 in the case of NU. Similarly, in respect of Soybean, the comparative paid-out costs amount to ` 9,776 for NCU and ` 8,660 for NU; ` 12,312 for NCU, as against ` 13,203 for NU, as in the case of maize; ` 15,349 for NCU, as against ` 15,353 for NU with reference to jute. Whereas, the net returns on sugarcane cultivation amount to ` 81, 122 for NCU, as compared to NU at ` 69,144; ` 8,012 for NCU, as against ` 6,611 for NU in respect to soybean; as regards maize, the returns realized amount to ` 17,110 for NCU, compared to ` 13,809 for NU; as for as jute is concerned, the returns amount to ` 3,082 for NCU, and ` 3,965 for NU, respectively.