Economic analysis of bagging in Litchi fruit: A feasibility estimation from Jammu region

The present investigation was carried out at Fruit Nursery, Department of Horticulture, Marallia (Miran Sihab), Jammu during the year 2019-2020. Considering the importance of Dehradun cultivar in Jammu region, the present investigation was under taken to study the effect of different type of bags with the objective to work out the economic feasibility of bagging. The experiment was conducted on twenty year old mature litchi trees cv. Dehradun during the year 2019-2020. Trees planted in square system at 10-meter distance of uniform size, vigour and maintained under uniform cultural practice were selected. The 24 treatment combinations were used comprised of seven different bagging materials with one control (un-bagged) at three different time period of bagging (20 days after fruit set and 40 days after fruit set). Pink polypropylene bagging with highest gross returns, net returns and added returns in all the experiments was found to be most effective type of bagging. The net returns and cost benefit ratio was worked out based on added returns and added cost of bagging. The bagging technique was found to be highly economically viable for adoption in commercial cultivation with a highest cost benefit ratio of 1:2.84, 1:3.56 and 1:3.74, respectively after 20 days, 30 days and 40 days of fruit set due to pink polypropylene bagging. Therefore, on the basis of technical feasibility and economic viability, litchi cultivation must be promoted for export purpose.