PROFITABILITY ANALYSIS AND IDENTIFYING EXISTING MARKETING CHANNEL OF TOMATO IN BANGLADESH: A STUDY BASED ON SOME SELECTED AREAS OF JAMALPUR DISTRICT

Abstract

The study was conducted to examine the profitability analysis and identifying existing marketing channel of tomato in some selected areas of Jamalpur district in Bangladesh. Besides, attempt had given to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the tomato farmers, and to estimate the costs and returns of tomato crop on sample farms in the study area, to study the existing marketing channel of tomato and marketing margin of intermediaries and to identify the constraints in production of tomato crop and to suggest measures to overcome them. Jamalpur districts was selected purposively for the study on the basis of extensive tomato production. A total of 105 tomato cultivators were randomly selected to conducting farm level survey with pre-tested questionnaire. Data were collected during 1 st November, 2018 to 31 March, 2019. After analysing the data, per hectare gross return, net return and gross margin were found to be Tk. 228076, Tk. 222452, and Tk. 216818. Tk. 135699, Tk. 124082 and Tk. 111872 and Tk. 111565, Tk. 102058 and Tk. 90367 for marginal, small and medium tomato farmers, respectively. Total cost of tomato production was calculated at Tk. 116511, Tk. 120394 and Tk. 126451 per hectare for marginal, small and medium tomato farmers, respectively. Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) were found 1.96, 1.85 and 1.72 for marginal, small and medium tomato farmers, respectively. A sample number of 20 traders were selected, categorized as petty traders, aratdars, wholesalers, and retailers. The process of tomato market passes by various marketing channels until it reache the final consumer or export. Such dealers took care of all market aspects such as storage, transport, finance, and risk taking. The average net margin (profit) of petty traders. aratdars, wholesalers, and retailers were 156 Tk., 42 Tk., 128 Tk. and 342 Tk. per 100 kg, which indicates that among the intermediaries net marketing margin was highest in retailers and lowest in Aratdars. Thus, the producers and various intermediaries losing their attention in commercial cultivation and trading. In the study area, lack of quality seed was the most severe problem among the farmers and diseases and pest infestation was the last problems of the farmers. Although, lack of quality seed was the first problem of the sample farmers, they strongly suggested about the credit facility which was the 1 st ranked suggestions of the farmers in the study area were poor and they have no fund to cultivate tomato.