Socio-economic impact assessment of protected cultivation: Income, employment and livelihood advancements for farmers

This study was conducted using primary data collected from 240 households in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The results of the study revealed that in protected cultivation, respondents aged 43 to 56 were more prevalent, with a higher literacy rate and diverse experience levels, while open field cultivation had a wider age range, lower literacy rates, and a majority of farmers with over 13 years of experience. The economic evaluation revealed that protected cultivation yields significantly higher output but necessitates higher initial investment. The output-input ratio of 2.81 in open cultivation as compared to 3.24 in protected cultivation underscored the efficiency of protected cultivation. The adoption of protected cultivation in tomatoes led to a substantial increase in income (Rs.72658.84) and employment (11.45 mandays). Multiple regression analysis elucidated that income, experience, polyhouse area and extension contacts exerted a positive influence on entrepreneurial behavior. These findings reflected the potential of protected cultivation in bolstering income, employment, and-entrepreneurial endeavors among vegetable growers.