Economical Assesment and Analysis of Post Harvest Losses of Kagzi Lime in Akola District: At Farm Level

Abstract

Kagzi lime (Citrus aurantifolia) is one of the most important horticultural crops in India. It is most important fruit crop as the demand for its consumption is very high due to the nutritional and medicinal values as the fruits are rich source of vitamin “C” and acetic acid. The fruits are extensively used for squashes, pickles, syrups and cordials, manufacturing of citric acid and table purpose in daily life of Indians. In case of kagzi lime, the three blooming seasons are Mrig bahar (June-July bloom), Hasta bahar (September-October bloom) and Ambia bahar (January-February bloom). Out of which fruits of Hasta bahar fetch more prices. Using multistage sampling technique 60 farmers were selected from the three categories of the small, medium and large farmers. Here in this study, it was estimated cost and returns found that overall on an average the total cost per hectare for cultivation of kagzi lime orchard was estimated to be  110478.25. It has been observed that an overall level benefit cost ratio was worked out to 2.14. The post harvest physical and economical losses at farm level, found that the physical loss of 1.93 per cent which varies from farm to farm. The study calculated that cost and return the total cost of cultivation was highest on large group farms followed by medium and then followed by small groups per hectare under kagzi lime crops. It can be concluded that the profitability of kagzi lime is more profitable i.e. benefit cost ratio 2.14. In physical and economical losses can be concluded that larger is the of orchard size larger will be the output and lower will be the proportion of loss.