Comparative Study on the Cost Of Tomato
Production Per Green House (20x5 m2 equipped with drip irrigation)
under different mulching conditions
(i) Operating Costs under Plastic Mulching
Activities
|
Unit
|
Quantity
|
Price/Unit
|
Total Price (Nu.)
|
|
A.Variable Costs:
|
|||||
(i)
Labour Used
|
|||||
Nursery raising and management
|
Man days
|
4
|
250
|
1000
|
|
Bed preparation and manure application in
greenhouse
|
Man
days
|
3
|
250
|
750
|
|
Transplanting
|
Man days
|
1
|
250
|
250
|
|
Mulching
|
Man days
|
1
|
250
|
250
|
|
Irrigation
|
Man days
|
2
|
250
|
500
|
|
Weeding
|
Man days
|
0.5
|
250
|
125
|
|
Nutrient or EM application
|
Man days
|
0.75
|
250
|
187.5
|
|
Staking
|
Man days
|
1
|
250
|
250
|
|
Pruning
|
Man days
|
5
|
250
|
1250
|
|
Hoeing
|
Man days
|
0.75
|
250
|
187.5
|
|
Harvesting
|
Man days
|
3
|
250
|
750
|
|
(ii) Material Cost
|
250
|
||||
Tomato Seed (Cosmic hybrid)
|
Gram
|
10
|
250/10g
|
250
|
|
Plastic
Mulch
|
Meter
|
25x3
|
7.41
|
555.75
|
|
Vermi-compost
|
kg
|
40
|
22
|
880
|
|
FYM
|
kg
|
100
|
2.5
|
250
|
|
Jute
rope for Staking
|
kg
|
84
|
2
|
168
|
|
Total operating cost
|
7603.75
|
||||
Total
yield
|
642kg
|
||||
Total
income considering market rate of Nu.60/kg
|
Nu.38,520
|
||||
Net profit=Total
income-Total operating cost
|
Nu. 30,916.25
|
||||
Cost of production per kg of
tomato= Total cost/total yield
|
Nu.12/kg
|
||||
(ii) Operating Costs under Artimisia Leaf Mulching
Activities
|
Unit
|
Quantity
|
Price/Unit
|
Total Price (Nu.)
|
|
A.Variable Costs:
|
|||||
(i)
Labour Used
|
|||||
Nursery raising and management
|
Man days
|
4
|
250
|
1000
|
|
Bed preparation and manure application in
greenhouse
|
Man
days
|
3
|
250
|
750
|
|
Transplanting
|
Man days
|
1
|
250
|
250
|
|
Mulching
|
Man days
|
3
|
250
|
750
|
|
Irrigation
|
Man days
|
2
|
250
|
500
|
|
Weeding
|
Man days
|
2
|
250
|
500
|
|
Nutrient or EM application
|
Man days
|
0.75
|
250
|
187.5
|
|
Staking
|
Man days
|
1
|
250
|
250
|
|
Pruning
|
Man days
|
4.5
|
250
|
1125
|
|
Hoeing
|
Man days
|
2
|
250
|
500
|
|
Harvesting
|
Man days
|
2.8
|
250
|
700
|
|
(ii) Material Cost
|
|||||
Tomato Seed (Cosmic hybrid)
|
Gram
|
10
|
250/10g
|
250
|
|
Vermi-compost
|
Kg
|
40
|
22
|
880
|
|
FYM
|
Kg
|
100
|
2.5
|
250
|
|
Jute
rope for Staking
|
Kg
|
84
|
2
|
168
|
|
Total operating cost
|
8060.5
|
||||
Total
yield
|
445.47kg
|
||||
Total
income considering market rate of Nu.60/kg
|
Nu.26,728
|
||||
Net
profit=Total income-Total operating cost
|
Nu. 18667.7
|
||||
Cost of production per kg of
tomato= Total cost/total yield
|
Nu.18/kg
|
||||
Activities
|
Unit
|
Quantity
|
Price/Unit
|
Total Price (Nu.)
|
|
A.Variable Costs:
|
|||||
(i)
Labour Used
|
|||||
Nursery raising and management
|
Man days
|
4
|
250
|
1000
|
|
Bed preparation and manure application in
greenhouse
|
Man
days
|
3
|
250
|
750
|
|
Transplanting
|
Man days
|
1
|
250
|
250
|
|
Irrigation
|
Man days
|
2
|
250
|
500
|
|
Weeding
|
Man days
|
6
|
250
|
1500
|
|
Nutrient or EM application
|
Man days
|
0.75
|
250
|
187.5
|
|
Staking
|
Man days
|
1
|
250
|
250
|
|
Pruning
|
Man days
|
4
|
250
|
1000
|
|
Hoeing
|
Man days
|
5
|
250
|
1250
|
|
Harvesting
|
Man days
|
2.5
|
250
|
625
|
|
(ii) Material Cost
|
|||||
Tomato Seed (Cosmic hybrid)
|
Gram
|
10
|
250/10g
|
250
|
|
Vermi-compost
|
Kg
|
40
|
22
|
880
|
|
FYM
|
Kg
|
20
|
2.5
|
50
|
|
Jute
rope for staking
|
Kg
|
2
|
84
|
168
|
|
Total operating cost
|
8660.5
|
||||
Total
yield
|
381.81kg
|
||||
Total
income considering market rate of Nu.60/kg
|
Nu.22,908
|
||||
Net
profit=Total income-Total operating cost
|
Nu. 14,248
|
||||
Cost of production per kg of
tomato= Total cost/total yield
|
Nu.23/kg
|
||||
Date
of Sowing: 08.03.18
Date
of transplanting: 08.05.18
Total
crop duration (sowing-last harvest): 230
days (7-8 months)
Harvest
dates:
1st- 9.8.18
2nd-
17.8.18
3rd- 22.8.18
4th-
28.8.18
5th- 30.8.18
6th- 5.9.18
7th-
12.9.18
8th-
27.9.18
9th-
6.10.18
10th-
12.10.18
11th-25.10.18
Total
harvest days: 78 days
Plot
size: 22.4 m2 each
Plant
population: 71
Spacing:
60cm x 50cm between plant-plant and row-row respectively.
Yield/plant:
3kg under Plastic mulched plot
2 kg under Artemisia leaf
mulched plot
1.8 kg under no mulch plot
Summary
Expenses (Nu.)
|
Production/yield
(kg)
|
Cost of
production/kg (Nu.)
|
Profit (Nu.)
|
|
Plastic mulch
|
7603.75
|
642
|
12
|
30916
|
Artemisia
Mulch
|
8060.5
|
445.47
|
18
|
18668
|
No mulch
|
8660.5
|
381.81
|
23
|
14248
|
Images depicting
Performance of tomato under different mulching conditions:
(a) Under Plastic mulching
(c) Under No Mulch Condition (Control)
Conclusion:
According
to the one season study carried out from March-October 2018, it is evident that
the cultivation of tomatoes under plastic mulched condition outperformed the
other two conditions.
Accordingly,
the cost of production per kilogram of tomato was found to be the lowest in
plastic mulched plots with the corresponding higher yields and the highest
profit per unit area. On the contrary, the plot with no mulch resulted in the
highest cost of production with the corresponding lower yield and lowest profit
per unit area.
The
highest yield in the plastic mulched plot could be attributed to the very
minimal weed pressure and subsequently the vigorous and healthy growth of the
plants and fruits. The reduced weed pressure also reduced the incidence of
diseases and pests.
The
intense weed pressure in the control(no mulch) plots hampered the growth of the
plants by way of competing for nutrients and hence resulted in the lowest
yield. It also demanded higher labour force, which led to the higher cost of
production of tomato per unit area.
While
the use of plastic mulch yielded excellent results, the residual impact of
non-bio-degradable wastes on soil is a concern. Hence, mulching with locally
available and eco-friendly mulch materials like Artimisia leaf may be encouraged
on large scale.
Further
research is needed to incorporate the fixed costs like the value of the land as
well as the depreciation cost of fixed asset like greenhouse and irrigation
sets. The trial needs to be replicated as both these parameters weren't taken
into consideration in the first year of the trial.