Adoption of bio-inputs as a source of crop specific technology to increase the rice productivity in the Union Territory of Puducherry

Increased use of agro-chemicals, higher production cost and deteriorating ecosystem health have advocated the need to change external input usage towards safe and sustainable agriculture by adopting bio inputs usage. The use of bio inputs technology is the best way to increase the productivity of crops in long run. Puducherry region has five communes. Among the five communes, paddy occupied major share in Bahour commune (1503 ha) hence, it was selected purposively. A sample of 60 bio-input adopters and 60 non-adopters from the Bahour commune was randomly selected. The cost of paddy cultivation was found as Rs.50, 599.63/ha in nonadopters and Rs.45, 729/ha for bio-input adopters. The net return has been found to be Rs. 45, 166/ha and Rs. 34, 433/ha for bio-input adopters and non-adopters, respectively. The results revealed that the cost A was found high in non-adopter farms compared to bio-input adopters farms, while gross income and net income was found to be high in bio input adopter farms. The decomposition analysis had revealed a difference in gross return between the bio-input adopters and non-adopters, while bio-inputs alone attributed for 53 per cent (Rs.5, 863). The decomposition analysis clearly indicated that bio-input usage significantly contributed to higher income in paddy farms.