Economic analysis and profitability assessment of high-tech cabbage cultivation in Chhattisgarh

Introduction

Vegetables are a vital component of Indian agriculture, contributing significantly to nutritional security and economic development. India's diverse agro-climatic conditions and seasonal variability enable year-round cultivation of a wide array of vegetable crops. With nearly onethird of the Indian population adhering to a vegetarian diet, vegetables play a crucial role in supplying essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and plant-based proteins. Rising consumer demand for fresh, high-value produce and shifting dietary patterns have spurred rapid growth in the vegetable sector. Moreover, the integration of modern technologies including improved hybrids, integrated nutrient and pest management (INM/IPM), better farmer training, and supportive policy frameworks has further enhanced productivity and quality across the country. Protected cultivation, in particular, has emerged as a transformative solution, allowing for year-round vegetable production by mitigating adverse environmental conditions and maximizing resource use efficiency. Chhattisgarh, with its bio-geographical diversity and availability of small fragmented landholdings, presents a unique niche for high-tech and off-season vegetable cultivation. The state has increasingly adopted protected cultivation technologies such as polyhouses, shed nets, drip irrigation, and mulching to promote sustainable and profitable farming. According to recent data from the Department of Horticulture and Farm Forestry, Government of Chhattisgarh, the 49178.33 hectare area under protected cultivation, including shed net houses and playhouses, has expanded to cover several hectares. These initiatives are further supported by central and state schemes like the National Horticulture Mission, which provide subsidies and infrastructure development to encourage adoption. In this context, high-tech vegetable farming holds immense potential for enhancing farmer incomes, improving produce quality, and ensuring a stable supply of vegetables even under adverse climatic conditions.

Materials and Methods

Sampling Procedure and Sample Size

Chhattisgarh state comprises of 33 districts, each contributing to the state diverse agricultural economy. Among them, Raipur, Durg, Mahasamund, Bilaspur and BalodaBazar has been selected purposively for study purpose based on highest area covered under Chhattisgarh plain.

Nature and Source of Data Primary data

Primary data for the study was collected directly from high-tech vegetable growers across five selected districts in the Chhattisgarh Plains agro-climatic zone. A percentage proportionate sampling method was employed to ensure adequate representation of the grower population in each district. Specifically, 30% of the total high-tech vegetable growers in the selected districts were sampled for the survey. In total, 240 farmers practicing high-tech vegetable cultivation were selected using this method. The district-wise distribution of the sample households was as follows: Raipur 63, Durg 45, Mahasamund 69, Bilaspur 32, and Baloda Bazar 31.

Secondary data

Secondary data was collected from research papers, books, journals, and reports from government and non-government agencies to support and complement the findings.

Analytical tools Cost and Return Analysis

The cost and return analysis of Cabbage cultivation under hightech farming in the Chhattisgarh Plain zone was conducted using the Cost of Cultivation methodology prescribed by the CACP. The Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), concept were used for estimation of Cost concepts. Under this method, the cost of cultivation and production was computed by using the 7 Cost concepts, which are known as cost A 1 , cost A 2 cost B 1 , cost B 2 and cost C 1 , cost C 2 , and cost C 3 . Family labour income = Gross income Cost B

Cost

• Farm business income: It is a measure of earning of farmer and his family for his capital investment, labour and managerial work.

Farm business income = Gross income Cost A1

• Farm investment income: This is the sum of net income, rental value of owned land and interest on fixed capital.

Farm investment income = Farm business income Imputed value of family labour.

c) Returns: Returns were noted in quintals and the monetary values were calculated at prevailing market prices.

d) Benefit-Cost ratio analysis

It is a ratio between the value of net return and the cost of cultivation at different cost concepts. This is the ratio which represents returns obtained per rupee of investment. It was worked out by dividing net return by the total cost.

e) Break Even Point Analysis

The point at which the two curves, i.e., total cost curve and total revenue curve intersect is called the break-even point (BEP) which indicates the level of production at no profit no loss. In other words, the quantity at which all costs allocated to a product are equal to all revenue from its sale is known as breakeven point (Sahu et al., 2020; Singh and Singh, 1999; Sunil Kumar et al., 2010) [3,6,7] .

BEP=F/ (P-AVC)

Where, BEP = Break Even Point in terms of physical units of production. F = Total Fixed Cost (Rs.) AVC = Average variable cost of vegetable crop production (Rs.) P = Price of the output (Rs.)

Disposal pattern:

To examine the marketing pattern of major crops at different categories of farms, simple analysis was done.

Marketable surplus

To estimate the marketable surplus of produce, total quantity used for different purposes is deducted from total production of crop.

Marketable Surplus = Total quantity produced -

Conclusion

The economic analysis of Cabbage cultivation under high-tech conditions demonstrates its high profitability and strong financial viability. With a total cultivation cost of Rs 170419.74 per hectare and gross returns of Rs 525000.56 per hectare, farmers achieved a substantial net return of Rs. 354580.30 and an output-input ratio of 3.17. Variable costs made up the majority of total expenses, with manures and fertilizers being the largest component, followed by plant protection and human labour. The break-even yield was calculated at 113.63quintals per hectare, significantly lower than the actual average yield of 350.23 quintals, resulting in a wide margin of safety at 67.54 percent. These results indicate that high-tech Cabbage cultivation is not only productive but also economically secure, offering a lucrative option for farmers seeking to enhance income through protected horticulture.

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