Economic Evaluation of Protected Cultivation Technology (PCT) for Horticulture Crops

Protected Cultivation Technology (PCT) is used to protect plants from adverse climatic conditions. The economics of PCT was evaluated for the year 2013-14 using 90 PCT farmers i.e. thirty farmers each from Rose, Gerbera and Capsicum. The per hectare establishment cost was seen high in Rose i.e. $ 175,217 followed by Gerbera ($ 155,211) and Capsicum ($ 123,689). The cost C of Rose was $ 142144 followed by Gerbera ($ 92,427) and Capsicum ($ 24,765). The subsidy amount share to the total establishment cost was 28.92, 31.21 and 40.81, per cent for Rose, Gerbera and Capsicum respectively.While yield obtained from PCT crops were 88.97 and 47.99 lakh numbers/ha in Rose and Gerbera. Whereas 82,655 kgs of Capsicum yield was obtained. The gross return received from PCT crops was seen high in Rose i.e. $ 475,582 /ha, followed by Gerbera ($ 210,048) and Capsicum ($ 46,269). In all PCT farms, B:C ratio was more than unity and IRR ranged from 16 to 45 per cent which revealed that cultivation of crops under PCT is profitable. Hence, Govt. needs to encourage developing PCT structures using indigenous technologies with low cost materials viz. quality galvanized iron pipes and plant material. Acknowledgement : I would like to extend thanks to the many people, in many cities, who so generously contributed to the work presented in this paper. Special mention goes to my enthusiastic supervisor, Dr. B.L.Patil My PhD has been an amazing experience and I thank Jim wholeheartedly, not only for his tremendous academic support, but also for giving me support for compleation of this research paper. Finally, but by no means least, thanks go to mum and Sisters for almost unbelievable support. They are the most important people in my world and I dedicate this research paper to them.