ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF BORO RICE PRODUCTION IN HAOR ECOSYSTEM OF KISHOREGANJ DISTRICT

Abstract

The study was carried out to evaluate the economic viability of Boro rice production in haor ecosystem of Kishoreganj district. A total of 175 rice farmers were selected from Mithamoin upazila on the basis of farm size category following random sampling technique. Data were analyzed with a combination of descriptive statistics, mathematical and statistical techniques. It was found from descriptive statistics that average farm size of the farmers was 0.54 ha, where majority of the farmers were small category. Varietal diversity index (VDI) pointed out that most of the farmers had low Boro rice varietal diversity in the study area. The study revealed that Boro rice production was profitable and productivity index was very high. Estimates of transcendental production model indicated that power tiller and insecticides cost had significant impact on profitability of Boro rice production. It was exposed from the Mann-Whitney U test that biotic stress caused lower yield of production. Considering severity ranking model (SRM), the severity of damage was extreme for disease infestation. Following garrett’s ranking technique (GRT), lower price of output, early flash flood inundation and lack of short-duration and high-yielding variety were found the major constraints faced by the farmers. The study recommended that short-duration, high-yielding and pest tolerant Boro rice varieties should be developed for the farmers. Therefore, proper extension services by the government are necessary to encourage farmers for adopting such technological improvements in order to produce Boro rice economically more viable.