Contribution of Horticultural Crops in Generating Household Agricultural Income in Cooch Behar District of West Bengal

The present study attempted to find contribution of horticultural crops in generating income of the agricultural households. The crops grown by the agricultural households were categorized into two: horticultural crops and non-horticultural crops. Size class wise per hectare cost, per hectare gross returns and net return were estimated for each individual crops as well as for these two categories of crops as a whole. Average net return per agricultural household (farm) earned from horticultural and non-horticultural crops were worked out to determine agricultural income of the households. The concept of Cost C was used in working out per hectare cost of cultivation of various crops under two categories. Tabular method of analysis was extensively used in the study. The data set in the source pertained to 2010-11 agricultural year and were collected from the cultivators belonging to Cooch Behar-II block of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal. The results indicated that the highest percentage of land was allocated to potato accounting for 28.16 per cent of gross cropped area (GCA) in the category of horticultural crops. Land allocated to the category of horticultural crops accounted for 31.16 per cent of the GCA. Among non-horticultural crops the highest percentage of land was allocated to aman paddy accounting for 34.62 per cent of GCA. Other important crops were jute, boro paddy, wheat, mustard covering 24.56 per cent, 5.68 per cent, 2.45 per cent, 2.05 per cent respectively. Land allocated to non-horticultural crops accounted for 68.84 per cent of the GCA. The results also revealed the highest cost in banana cultivation recording Rs. 127584 per hectare. The other crops in descending order of cost/hectare in the category of horticultural crops were potato, pointed gourd, garlic, etc. Per hectare cost were estimated to the extent of Rs. 81780, Rs. 80800, Rs. 68109 respectively. Among non-horticultural crops the highest cost per hectare was recorded for boro paddy and it was Rs. 52950 per hectare. Cost of jute, wheat, aman paddy, mustard and lentil per hectare was estimated as Rs.39466, Rs.34151, Rs.33356, Rs.25513 and Rs.23564 respectively. There was a wide difference between cost/hectare of horticultural and non-horticultural crops as a whole. Cost/hectare was Rs.79881 for the former and Rs.36628 for the later. Among the horticultural crops the highest net return to the extent of Rs.177653 per hectare was earned from banana. The other important crops in this category were garlic, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, watermelon, etc. fetching net return (NR) per hectare to the extent of Rs.163984, Rs.66100, Rs.58400 and Rs.53127 etc. An amount of NR to the extent of Rs.34180/hectare was collectively earned from horticultural crops. Among the non-horticultural crops the highest net return to the extent of Rs.22321/hectare was earned from lentil. Per hectare net returns to the extent of Rs.5903, Rs.4899, Rs.4127, Rs.2403 and Rs.1614 were fetched from mustard, boro paddy, wheat, aman paddy and jute respectively. An amount of Rs.2433/hectare was collectively earned from non-horticultural crops. Average agricultural income earned from crop production was Rs.28044 per household. About 87 per cent of this income was generated from horticultural crops. The study calls for crop planning on the basis of demand and consumption requirement of people for both the horticultural and non-horticultural crops.