Comparative Profitability Analysis and Policy Options for Sustaining Integrated Pest Management Practices on Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Production

Abstract

This study examined the comparative profitability of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) production between Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and non-Integrated Pest Management (non-IPM) farmers and tried to find out the policy recommendations for sustaining this practice in vegetable production. A total of 80 farmers (40 from each group) were purposively selected from Tangail district of Bangladesh through the interview schedule. To fulfill the objectives of this study, farmers’ attitude index, profitability and partial budget analysis were used. Hence, to know the complete picture of cucumber production using both IPM and non-IPM technology, the socioeconomic profile of farmers was examined and compared and found that IPM farmers were in better-off condition than that of non-IPM farmers. The result of the farmers’ attitude measured by Likert Scale showed that the majority of the farmers had a moderately favorable attitude towards IPM technology. According to the profitability analysis, the benefit-cost ratio of cucumber production was 1.9 for IPM farmers, while for non-IPM farmers, it was estimated at 1.6. It is evident from the partial budget analysis that per hectare net benefit was USD 1069.23 for cucumber production using IPM technology. Cucumber production was profitable for both IPM and non-IPM farmers, but IPM farmers were more beneficial than that of non-IPM. The researcher identified a weak socioeconomic profile of the farmers, inadequate training facilities, few NGOs participation and poor IPM disseminating staff and farmers’ ratio as the challenges of sustaining IPM technology in the study areas. Therefore, government attention needs to be increased on collaboration between different groups, including national and international organizations, social scientists and farmers for sustaining IPM practices.