T. M. CHOWDHURY1*, S. MANJIRA2 and M. A. LATIF3
1=Tasmia Mahmuda Chowdhury, Lecturer, Department of Development and Poverty Studies, Faculty of Agribusiness Management, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, 2=Shirajum Manjira, Lecturer, Department of Management and Finance, Faculty of Agribusiness Management, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka and 3=Md. Abdul Latif, Professor, Department of Agricultural Statistics, Faculty of Agribusiness Management, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
*Corresponding authors Email: tasmiamc@sau.edu.bd
ABSTRACT
The study was conducted at Department of Development and Poverty Studies, Faculty of Agribusiness Management, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka Bangladesh to assess profitability and resource use efficiency of prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) farming. Data were collected from Rampal upazila under Bagerhat district and Dumuria and Paikgacha upazilla under Khunla district of Bangladesh during December 2018 to February 2019. Fisheries sector is playing an important role in the economy of Bangladesh from the ancient time. Bagerhat and Khulna district were selected for the study based on intensive cultivation of prawn. Simple random sampling technique had been used for collecting data from 100 sample farmer by using structured interview schedule. After analyzing the data, per hectare gross return, net return, and gross margin of prawn farming were found to be Tk¡. 616250.00, Tk. 238784.00 and Tk. 324555.00 respectively. Total costs of prawn production were calculated at Tk. 377466.00 per hectare. Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) was found to be 1.63 for prawn farming. Thus, it was found that prawn farming was profitable in the study area. Cobb-Douglas production function analysis suggested that, among the variables included in the model, human labor, fertilizer, and feed had a positive and significant effect on the gross production of prawn farming except lime had a negative and insignificant effect as well as fingerling had an insignificant effect on the gross production of prawn farming. This study also identified some of the constraints and barriers associated with prawn farming. Constraints faced by the respondents were ranked on the basis of corresponding percentages. The constraints should be removed comprehensively through an integrated program for the overall development of prawn (galda) farming.
Keywords: Simple random sampling technique, Profitability, Resource use efficiency, Cobb Douglas production function and BCR.
¡ US dollar ($) 1 = Taka (Tk) 84.00