Production efficiency in gram cultivation in Nagpur district: A stochastic frontier production approach

The present study entitled, “production efficiency in gram cultivation in Nagpur district: A stochastic frontier production approach””. The study was undertaken to examine the cost and returns gram cultivation. For the present study 120 gram farmers were selected from Katol and Kalameshwar tehsils of Nagpur district. The primary data was collected from the gram farmers by survey method and pretested schedule. To estimate the cost and returns of gram standard cost concepts i.e. cost A1, cost A2, cost B1, cost B2, cost C1, cost C2 and cost C3 were used was used and to identify the constraints faced by gram farmers and garret ranking method was used. It is revealed from the study that Cost ‘C3’ of gram farmer was Rs 78783.00. Average gross returns of gram was Rs 103774.61. The Benefit-cost ratio at cost 'C3' of gram of 1.32. It shows that the gram crop appeared to be good for monitory benefits and profitable crop. The mean technical efficiency was 89.55. It is observed that the minimum technical efficiency was 43.79 and the maximum technical efficiency was 99.47. The mean economic efficiency was 56.74. The minimum economic efficiency was 2.32 percent and maximum economic efficiency was 79.90 percent. The mean allocative efficiency of the sample farms was 63.72 percent. The minimum allocative efficiency was 5.30 percent and maximum allocative efficiency was 103.19 percent. Higher income levels and better education contribute to improved efficiency. Total family size and age have no meaningful impact on technical efficiency. However, major constraints faced by gram farmers were realisation of less prices at market price while selling, crop damaged by long spell of fog etc.