ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF MAJOR STAPLE FOOD-GRAIN CROPS, VARIETIES’ INPUT-OUTPUT COMPARISON AND SIGNIFICANCE IN THE ECONOMY OF DISTRICT DERA ISMAIL KHAN

Abstract

A study was conducted at Institute of Social Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan during 2023 to make economic analysis of staple food grain crops i.e Wheat and Rice cultivation in district Dera Ismail Khan (commonly known as D.I.Khan). Three tehsils namely D.I.Khan, Parova and Paharpur were selected on the basis of purposive sampling technique. From each tehsil, three villages and five each wheat and rice varieties were selected. The Wheat varieties comprised of Khaista and Wadan, Pirsabak-15, Pirsabak-19, and AZRC-Dera, whereas, the rice varieties comprised IRRI-06, IRRI-09, KSK-282, KSK-133, and PK-385. Primary data were collected from 900 respondents (farmers) randomly selected through structured questionnaire. Sample size was allocated to these nine villages on the basis of proportional allocation method. For data analysis, benefit cost ratios, log-linear Cobb-Douglas production function and return to scale were estimated.

According to the results benefit cost ratio was noted for Khaista-2017, Wadan-2017, Pirsabak-2019, AZRC Dera-2020 and Pirsabak-2021 were 1.89, 1.99, 1.96, 2.19 and 2.14 respectively, thus the AZRC Dera-20 variety is the most profitable variety of wheat as compared to all other wheat varieties. The output elasticities of area, tractor hours, fertilizer, seed, labour and pesticides were observed as 0.3112, 0.0012, 0.5924, 0.6212, 0.5124 and 0.0013, respectively. The input-output relationship holds increasing returns to scale. The farmers should be advised to cultivate high yielding varieties like AZRC Dera-20 and Pirsabak-21.

As a result of rice varieties, the KSK-133 variety is the most lucrative rice variety when compared to all other rice varieties. The benefit cost ratio for PK-385, IRRI-06, IRRI-09, KSK-282, KSK-133, and PK-385 was recorded as 2.10, 2.70, 2.81, 2.93, and 2.38, respectively. The results showed that the area, seed, nursery, fertilizer, labor, pesticides and harvesting / threshing had production elasticities of 0.256817, 0.6157, 0.21684, 0.08719, 0.14278, 0.0033717 and 0.6264 respectively. Growing returns to scale are found in the input-output connection. It should be suggested to the farmers to grow high producing cultivars such as KSK-133 and KSK-282.