Resource productivity analysis of wheat production in Kanchanpur district, Nepal

Abstract

Wheat is the third most important cereal crop of Nepal both in terms of production and area of cultivation after rice and maize. However, the domestic wheat production of the country is unable to meet its national demand. In this context, a study was conducted to determine the profitability and productivity of wheat production in Kanchanpur district of Far-Western Nepal. A total of 120 wheat farmers were randomly selected and surveyed with a structured interview schedule. Descriptive and statistical tools including Cobb-Douglas production function were used to analyse data. The benefit cost ratio (1.79) indicates that wheat production in the study area was profitable with productivity of 2.53 ton per ha. The magnitude of regression coefficient (0.24) implied that nutrient cost had significant positive effect on gross returns with estimated decreasing return to scale (0.28). Other costs like seed, human labour, tractor and bullock labour were not statistically significant. Introduction of farm machineries through cooperative farming, use of sustainable nutrient management techniques and use of good quality seed would increase the productivity and profitability of wheat farmers of the study area.