Economic analysis of carnation under protective cultivation: A study of mid hills Zone of Himachal Pradesh

Economic analysis of Carnation under protective cultivation in Solan district of mid hill zone of Himachal Pradesh revealed that under Socio-economic indicators majority of the sample households have nuclear families and at overall level the average family size was 5.33 persons, out of which 55 per cent were males and 45 per cent females. The average size of land holding on the overall category was found 3.34 hectares of which 23.01 per cent was cultivated area. It can be referred from the analysis that average cost of production of carnation per cut stem varied between Rs. 0.53 to Rs. 0.55. The net returns from the production of carnation cut stems were Rs. 3,11,348.30 under 500 m² polyhouse, whereas, under 2000 m² it was Rs. 12,79,504.72. The net present value of carnation was found to vary between Rs. 9,21,328 to Rs.42,91,301 under different sizes of non-subsidized polyhouses. Whereas, under subsidized polyhouses, it ranged from Rs. 10,31,093 to Rs. 46,80,471 under 20 years life of polyhouse. Benefit cost ratio under subsidized polyhouses of 500 m² to 2000 m² varied 1.54 to 1.66 with aninternal rate of return 31 to 37 per cent. Similarly BCR varied from 1.45 to 1.57 under different sizes of non-subsidized polyhouses with an internal rate of 27 to 33 per cent. Therefore production of carnation cut stems under subsidized and non-subsidized polyhouses is feasible and profitable.