1Division of Social Sciences, Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla-171 001, (Himachal Pradesh).
2Division of Crop Protection, Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla-171 001, (Himachal Pradesh).
A survey of 39 potato growers and 13 cabbage growers of Cheog, Bani and Deorighat panchayats of Shimla district was conducted to study the comparative economics of cultivation of both the crops. The area is having vegetable based cropping system. Off-season vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and seed potato are the major competing crops particularly during summer season. The cost of cultivation of seed potato and cabbage was worked out to be Rs. 30900/- and 34880/- per ha, respectively. The major cost component in potato was seed (51%) followed by human labour (25%), manures and fertilizers (3.0%) and plant protection (3.0%), But in the case of cabbage the maximum contribution to cost was that of human labour (43.3%) followed by seed (43%), plant protection (3.8%) and manures & fertilizers (3.1%). Seed potato crop resulted in per ha net returns of Rs. 40600/- compared with Rs. 14186/- from cabbage. The benefit-cost ratio was worked out to be 2.3 for seed potato and 1.4 for cabbage, respectively. It was also observed that the cost of production per quintal for cabbage was Rs. 290/- and for potato Rs. 281/-. Cabbage had marketable surplus of about 95% compared to 80% in case of seed potato.
