The study was conducted to determine the productivity, profitability and resource use efficiency of maize-pumpkin mix crop production in Chitwan. The study used 53 maize-pumpkin mix crop adopting farmers from among 300 farmers adopting different pollinator friendly practices. Descriptive and statistical tools including Cobb-Douglas production function were used to analyze data, collected from structured interview schedule. The benefit cost ratio (1.58) indicates that maizepumpkin mix cropping was profitable with productivity of 2.83 ton per ha on maize main product equivalent basis. The magnitude of regression coefficients of maizepumpkin mix cropping implied that expenditure on seed and fertilizer and irrigation had significant positive effect on gross return with estimated decreasing return to scale (0.85). According to estimated allocative efficiency indices, it is suggested to increase expenditure on seed and fertilizer cum irrigation by about 90% and 55% respectively. Extension of modern technologies with adjustment on resource use is to be encouraged for increase in productivity and profitability of maize-pumpkin mix crop production which indirectly promotes and ensure forage for pollinators

Background: When the natural pollinator's declines, beekeeping can contribute to the pollination services, assuring crop yields, and can also be used to strengthen the livelihoods through commercialization to increase economic revenue. Methods:A farmers' survey and field experiment were conducted on 2011 to assess the economics of beekeeping as pollination management practices adopted by the farmers of Chitwan district, Nepal. Samples of 75 respondents from the list of beekeeper farmers of Chitwan district were selected randomly. Information was obtained from individual respondents through a pretested questionnaire and group discussion. Furthermore, to assess the benefit of bee pollination 15 experimental plots were selected to see the effect of bee pollination on mustard crop yield.Results: From the study, the gross income (rupees/hives), productivity (rupees/man-day), average cost (rupees/ hives), and gross benefit (rupees/hives) as a result of keeping bees were found to be 4475.23, 1506.30, 2526.66, and 1948.57, respectively. The benefit-cost ratio of beekeeping was found to be significantly higher, at 1.8. The contribution of the bee pollination on the mustard crop production was found significantly higher than that on the mustard production without the insect pollination. Conclusions:This research finding will provide the new ways of thinking on the relationship between beekeeping and their importance on the crop production. The pollination shortage due to pollinator declines can be mitigated through the beekeeping which helps to uplift the sustainable livelihoods of the farmers through income generation.

The survey was conducted in Palpa district of Nepal in 2013 to assess the profitability and major problems associated with coffee production. Barangdi, Boughapokharathok, Madanpokhara and Khaseauli Village development committees (VDCs) were selected for the survey. A household survey of 110 coffee growers was conducted. Primary data were collected through face to face interview, direct observation; secondary data were collected from different publications. Data was analysed by using SPSS V16, Microsoft Excel and STATA 12. It was found that the coffee contributes about 10 percent to the annual household income. The GM was found NRs. 6637.52 and net profit of NRs. 4783.52 per ropani and the profitability index of 1.47 shows the coffee business as profitable business. The major problems in the coffee production were the high insect pest attack such as red and white borer. About 63 percentage respondents had said that the insect pest (white borer) was the major problem followed by low market price of the fresh cherry. It shows that the coffee business may be the suitable and financially feasible business in the mid hills of Nepal and need to address the major problems associated in production.

A study was conducted in 2016 to analyze the economics of fish production at Chitwan District of Nepal. Three study sites: East, West and South part of Chitwan were selected purposively. A total of 90 households, 30 from each study site were selected randomly and were interviewed by using pre-tested semi structured questionnaire. Secondary data needed for the study were obtained from DADO, MOAD, NARC and other related organizations working on fisheries and aquaculture sector. Descriptive statistics and extended Cobb Douglas production function was used to accomplish the study objectives for which MS-Excel and SPSS 16 were used. The B/C ratio is obtained dividing the gross return by total variable cost incurred. The total cost of production per ha of the pond area was Rs. 743798 per year with 79 and 21 percent variable and fixed cost components, respectively. Feed cost (28 %) was largest cost item followed by cost for labour (25 %), fingerlings (10 %), maintenance (6 %), manure cum fertilizers (5 %), fuel cum energy (3 %) and limestone and others (2%). The average gross return and net profit realized per ha were Rs. 1223934 and Rs. 480135 respectively. The cost, return and profit were calculated to be highest for east Chitwan with highest B/C ratio followed by west Chitwan and south Chitwan. The B/C ratio for the district was found to be 1.63. The return to scale was found to be decreasing with value of 0.654 indicating that 1 percent increment in all the inputs included in the function will increase income by 0.654 percent. Production function analysis, including five variables, showed significant effect of human labour, fingerlings and fuel cum energy cost but feed and manure cum fertilizers cost were insignificant.

It has been increasing pest population including weeds, invasive species, insects and insect vectors and plant diseases, which lead to increase pesticides on crop production. Some of the pesticides also contribute to global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. Pesticides are the potential health hazards which have drawn attention to everyone. The current practice adopted in pesticides control in Nepal appears not enough in line with food safety. This has created a promising threat in food safety and human health. In turn, global warming is also likely to increase pesticide use and degrade food safety situation. Necessary measures should be adopted to curb upcoming alarming situation in food safety.Key words: Food safety; Global warming; Pesticides; NepalThe Journal of Agriculture and Environment Vol:10, Jun.2009 Page: 128-132

The study was conducted to determine the profitability and resource use efficiency of mustard production in Chitwan. The study used 159 mustard growers from 300 farmers adopting different pollinator friendly practices. Descriptive and statistical tools including Cobb-Douglas production function were used to analyze data which were collected from structured interview schedule. The benefit cost ratio (1.43) indicates that mustard production was profitable with productivity of 0.81 ton per ha. The magnitude of regression coefficients of mustard implied that use of human labor, tractor, nutrient and irrigation and pesticides costs had significant positive effect on gross return with estimated increasing return to scale (1.03). According to estimated allocative efficiency indices, it is suggested to increase use of tractor labor, seed, nutrient and irrigation plus pesticides cost by about 47%, 82%, 84% and 94%, respectively. Extension of modern technologies with adjustment on resource use is to be encouraged for increase in productivity and profit from mustard production which indirectly promotes and ensure forage for pollinators.  Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(4): 604-608

No abstract

The study was conducted to determine the cost-benefit analysis and resource use efficiency of the rice production system in different agriculture landscapes in the Chitwan district in 2018. The sample size of 102 rice-growing farmers out of 600 farmers, having an area of farm size greater than 0.5 hectares, was determined using Raosoft Inc. Software. A simple random sampling technique was used to collect 102 rice-growing household information in four municipalities (2 in plain and 2 in hilly area) using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and statistical tools including Cobb-Douglas production function.Results showed that the use of inputs like seeds, chemical fertilizer and machinery like tractor were found significantly higher in the plain area whereas the use of inputs like labor, farmyard manure (FYM) and bullocks was found in higher in the hilly area. The costs of fertilizer, machinery, pesticide, and transportation were found higher in the plain area whereas the costs of seed, FYM, labor and bullocks were significantly higher in the hilly area. Production of rice per household was 1.87 ton whereas productivity was 5.2 ton/ha, gross profit was NRs. 41435and benefit-cost ratio was 1.59 in the plain area which was found significantly higher than the hilly area. The return to scale was found to be 0.48 which revealed that inputs used in rice production were ineffectively utilized in which organic fertilizer and labor resource were overused and seed, fertilizer, machinery and bullocks, pesticides and transportation were underused resources. The optimal allocation of these resources will increase the profitability of rice farming.