ACREAGE RESPONSE OF SESAMUM IN SAURASHTRA REGION

R.P. KATARA¹*, K.A. KHUNT^2
1Department of Economics, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362 001, India
²Department of Economics, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362 001, India
* Corresponding Author : rekha.katara96@gmail.com

Received : 08-09-2019     Accepted : 26-09-2019     Published : 30-09-2019
Volume : 11     Issue : 18       Pages : 9069 - 9074
Int J Agr Sci 11.18 (2019):9069-9074

Keywords : Sesamum, Growth rate, Acreage response
Academic Editor : Dr Rishee Kalaria
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362 001, India and ICAR- Indian council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

The study on was undertaken with the main objectives viz; to assess the compound growth rate and instability, acreage response and factors considered by the famers for acreage allocation. The study was conducted in Junagadh and Rajkot districts of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the two districts of Saurashtra region. Total 120 sesamum growers. i.e. 60 kharif and 60 summer sesamum growers were selected for the study. The secondary data were collected for the period 1995-96 to 2018-19 and 2010-11 to 2018-19 for analysis of acreage response of kharif and summer sesamum, respectively. The compound growth rate, coefficient of variation, Nerlovian model and Garrett’s ranking technique were used to analyzed the collected data. The results revealed that the compound growth rates of the area, production and yield of kharif sesamum showed declining trend in Junagadh and Rajkot districts. The compound growth rates of productivity of summer and total sesamum increased significantly in both of the districts. In general, instability in area and production found higher than that in yield. The study on acreage response of kharif sesamum, revealed that, one year the lagged area was found to be positively influential factors in the farmers regarding area allocation to kharif sesamum in all the models of Junagadh and Rajkot districts. The kharif sesamum growers of Junagadh district are traditional in nature, they have not responded to the price and non price factors too. Whereas, farmers of Rajkot district exhibited rational behaviour to price factors and non price factors i.e. negative response to area under competing crop, lagged price and yield risk. In both the districts, summer sesamum growers consider the factors like area and price of competing crop, lagged yield and total rainfall. The positive and significant impact of total rainfall was found on summer sesamum acreage because it needs assured irrigation facility. The higher value of long run elasticity (LR) indicated that the farmers were relatively market oriented in their decision in the long run than in short run in respect to the sesamum in Junagadh and Rajkot districts. According to farmers opinions, for kharif sesamum, the low cost of cultivation of sesamum and price of sesamum during last year were the common factors considered by farmers while acreage allocation in both of the districts. In the summer sesamum the low cost of cultivation of sesamum was found common factor while acreage allocation in both of the districts.

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