The present investigation was undertaken to study about costs and returns from the cultivation of cauliflower in Sikar district of Rajasthan. In this study, primary data were collected from the selected cauliflower cultivators through personal interview method with the help of pre- structured schedule. The study concluded that, on an average, total costs of cauliflower cultivation was estimated at ` 79786 per hectare. Out of which, overall total operational costs were observed as ` 55718 per hectare (i.e., 69.83 percent of total costs). It was decreased with the increase in farm size holdings whereas, total fixed costs were calculated at ` 24068 per hectare which accounts for 30.17 per cent of total costs. It was found positive relationship with the size of farms holdings. Total cost of cultivation of cauliflower was highest on medium farms (` 91764) and lowest on marginal farms (` 77511). The results also revealed that major components of cost of cauliflower cultivation were found human labour with ` 22482 per hectare followed by rental value of owned land (` 21265 per hectare), cost of manure (` 10340 per hectare) and cost of improved seed (` 9498 per hectare). The results of study indicated that overall gross returns obtained from cauliflower cultivation were ` 243275 per hectare. Gross returns were found to be highest (` 286750 per hectare) on medium farm and lowest (` 231250 per hectare) on marginal farms. On an average, cost of production in cauliflower was estimated at ` 670. The cost of production was found maximum (` 682 per quintal) on marginal farms and minimum (` 651 per quintal) on medium farms. It was decreased with increase in the farm size groups. It was observed that, an overall return per rupee earned from cauliflower cultivation was ` 2.77. Among the farm size groups, return was estimated as ` 2.71, ` 2.82, ` 2.83 and ` 2.84 per rupee on marginal, small, semi-medium and medium farm, respectively.

Vegetable cultivation have paved new path in economic development for farmers in Himachal Pradesh but information on future viability and sustainability is still lacking. This study was conducted in the state of Himachal Pradesh to find out economic sustainability index (ESI) for vegetable farms of SHG members vis-à-vis other farmers. The study revealed higher economic sustainability of vegetable farms belongs to SHG members in comparison to other farmers. Indicators of economic sustainability, viz. production efficiency, net profit and market accessibility were found to be significantly higher for SHG members than other farmers. Socioeconomic characteristics like education, land holding, vegetable production and extension contacts proved to have significant and positive effect on economic sustainability index. Although SHG approach found to improve economic sustainability in vegetable farming, very few vegetable farms found to be in highly sustainable category, So, there is untapped potential to cover more vegetable growing farmers under self-help groups to harness the benefits of group dynamics in strengthening vegetable production in the state.

In Maharashtra State, the area under soybean cultivation during 2019-20 was 4124.01 (000) hectares with total production of 4825.63 (000) tonnes. Maharashtra is the second largest soybean growing state in the country. In Vidarbha region the area under soybean cultivation during 2019-20 was 4124.01 (000) hectares with production of 4825.63 (000) tonnes. Keeping in view the importance of Soybean crop in Vidarbha the present study was conducted with an defined objectives & methodology. The study revealed that, the growth rates of Area, Production & Productivity indicates stagnant growth during the study period. The coefficient of variation of Area Production & Productivity were 8.78 %, 33.19% and 35.12% respectively. The coefficient of variation in input utilization for soybean was ranges from 3.19% to 180%. However highest for female labour i.e., 180.78% whereas the growth rates for male labour and bullock labour were declined by -1.94 and -11.42 % per annum respectively. The cost of cultivation is in increasing trend. On the other hand CGR for Cost of Production was estmated 8.25% per annum and statistically found significant. However MSP increases at the rate of 9.66 % per annum and Price received by farmer at 4.54% per annum. The share of input cost to the total cost was highest in Hired Human Labour (Male & Female) i.e., 18.68%. Followed by Machine power and Seed component 13.25% and 11.16% respectively. The average yield was receive 13.24 qtl/ha. The input output ratio at Cost A is 1.41, Cost B is 1.06 and at Cost C no profit no loss was recorded. The input out put ratio at Cost A & B was more. Which means crop is profitable at variable cost, farmers were received higher producers price than MSP. But the cost of Production was more than MSP. The parity between Cost of Production and MSP was ranges from ` 162.58 to ` 1788.12 during last ten years. The study further indicates that on an average the percentage of cost of production over previous year was 1.19% on an average of last ten years. Hence farmers were getting the price as equal to MSP. However MSP changes with constant increase ranges from 100.00 to 132.00 % to present year.

The present study to estimate the factors affecting the marketed surplus of milk in Madhya Pradesh was carried out by collecting data from 80 producer households from two zones of Madhya Pradesh during 2020. The study revealed that milk production per animal was the most significant factor influencing the marketed surplus of milk followed by price of milk and operational land holding, respectively. Both in relative as well as in absolute terms, production and marketed surplus increased with the increase in the herd size implying positive relationship between production and marketed surplus of milk. Larger family size tends to decrease the marketed surplus as it is more consumed at producer level. This signifies that efforts should be made to improve the productivity of animals as states has highest indigenous cattle population whose productivity was found to be very low along with efficient marketing facilities to get remunerative prices.

Shifts in cropping pattern were analyzed with reference to cotton in major cotton growing districts of Maharashtra with the help of Markov chain analysis. The analysis revealed that in 14 among the 19 cotton growing districts, cotton area increased during the study period (2000-01 to 2017-18) while 5 districts experienced decrease in cotton area. Cotton crop was found to have high retention capacity in almost all the districts with a probability ranging from 0.53 to 0.98 among the cotton growing districts. The main crops that lost their area to cotton were pigeon pea, maize, black gram, soybean and other kharif pulses. Castor, small millets, groundnut and sunflower also lost their area to cotton. Crops like soybean, maize, pigeon pea, black gram and green gram also got area from cotton in some districts but the probability was very less. Stable and good prices, stable yield and easy to market are the reasons for preferring cotton over other crops. High cost of cultivation and non availability of labour are the major reasons for not preferring cotton crop.

The present study was conducted in Sirsa and Hisar districts of Haryana state with the objective to find the constraints faced by dairy owners on adoption of marketing and scientific dairy practices. The multistage stratified random sampling technique was used for selection of the respondents. It was revealed from the study conducted in Sirsa and Hisar districts of Haryana that farmers of Sirsa perceived constraints regarding feeding practices most seriously and with higher concentration as compared to the farmers of Hisar districts which may be due to significant difference of agro-climatic variation as well as lack of large sized processing industries in Hisar district as compared to such industries in Sirsa district. All the farmers’ across different categories reported lack of veterinary clinics and medical stores and high cost of treatment as serious constraints thus underlining the immediate need of low cost and highly accessible treatment. Uniform application of technology or adoption of umbrella approach for extension appears difficult given the observed differences in awareness and adoption. Future research and technology generation should, therefore, identify the differential technological requirements of different categories of farmers and should deliver technologies appropriate to needs of farmers. Shift to farming systems research and participatory technology development are suggested.

Oyster mushroom production, which is profitable agri-business enterprise for enhancing farm income, generating additional employment and subsistence to nutritional security. Considering the growing demand and importance of oyster mushroom production for promising enterprise, an attempt has been made to estimate the cost and returns of growing oyster mushroom, to identify various determinants affecting its value of mushroom productivity. The study was carried out in Rongram block, West Garo Hills of Meghalaya using 60 oyster mushroom growers. Findings revealed that the total cost depicted a decreasing trend with increase in the size of beds spawned due to economies of scale. On overall basis, the total cost estimated to be ` 467 per 5 units of polybag beds spawned. The returns from mushroom cultivation depicted a positive association with farm size; these are ` 58/kg, ` 76/kg and ` 120/kg for small, medium and large mushroom farms respectively. It was worked out in the overall farm size that

one rupee invested in mushroom growing, yields about ` 1.55. The input-output ratio was highest on large mushroom farms (1.82), followed by medium (1.48) and small (1.35) farms. The single window input delivery system should be encouraged in the study area. There was a felt need for a linkage and full co-operation between the state government, financial institutions, researchers, scientists, extension workers and mushroom growers on different advanced technological aspects of better production oyster mushroom, which would help the farmers’ to get remunerative prices for their products.

The study has examined economics and economic viability of the ginneries. The study revealed that the difference in total investment between semi-automized and fully automized ginning units was due to the level of mechanization of units. Fully automized ginning units required more fund for management of the unit. The annual gross income was found to be ` 3749.87 lakhs in fully automized ginning units and ` 3399.03 lakhs in semi-automized ginning units whereas net income was ` 2409.50 lakhs and ` 1553.58 lakhs respectively. Under the situation of normal cost and return for all units, the net present value (NPV) was found positive indicating the financial soundness of the investment in the cotton ginning units. The pay-back period was found about 10 years which seems longer. In the varying situations of costs and returns, only situation-IV is found little hopeful with 10% increase in gross profit and 10% decrease in total cost ginners were get highest NPV and IRR with lowest PBP in category-wise and overall sensitivity analysis of cotton ginneries.

The post – harvest losses have been evaluated at various levels in wheat grain in Haryana. Growth rate analysis was performed using time-series data on area, production, and productivity of the selected wheat crop from 2008-09 to 2017-18. The survey data obtained from 60 farmers in two districts in 2019-20 was used to estimate post-harvest losses. In each village, 15 people were chosen as responders. The influence of socio-economic factors on post-harvest losses at the farm level was investigated using functional analysis, whilst post-harvest losses at various levels were quantified using tabular analysis. At the state level, the yearly growth rates of area, production, and productivity rose by 0.43, 0.73, and 0.30 percent, respectively. Wheat post-harvest damages where calculated to be 3.47, 3.41, and 3.44 kg/quintal in Hisar, Karnal, and overall respectively. In both the districts and the state as a whole, the damages were largest during wheat combine harvesting. The variables that have a significant influence on post-harvest damages at the farm level, as well as certain policy implication, have been identified. As far as losses in monitory term is concerns, ` 335.45 crores were calculated in combine harvesting which is highest of the total post-harvest losses followed by Threshing (210.52). Storage, on the other hand, saw the least losses, accounting for 19.66 per cent of total post-harvest losses. Post-harvest losses in the state as a whole were anticipated to be ` 735.82 crores.

Land use is complex phenomenon technological change, climatic changes influences land use changes over time period. Rajasthan, the largest state in geography and varied climatic factors makes it important to understand the land use across the state. Present study aimed at understanding the growth and instability in the different land use categories of Rajasthan with special reference to ten agro-climatic regions of the state. Compound growth rate and cuddy della valle instability index was used to analyse the data. Secondary data collected since after the implementation of second land policy (1973 till 2018). Area under forest and non-agricultural uses as well as area under cultivation in all regions has reported significant positive growth rate whereas area under barren unculturable land and permanent pastures & other Grazing land in almost all agro-climatic regions of Rajasthan has significantly decreased. The land uses category under tree crops & groves reported high instability and swollen data in all study regions

for the present study period.

The PM Kisan scheme enables to support the financial needs of all land holding farmers in order to purchase various inputs timely and ensure proper crop health and adequate yields. Keeping this in view, a study was conducted to analyse the economics of PM Kisan scheme for the 2020-21 Kharif season in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. Primary data on cost and returns of the paddy crop (main crop) were collected by interviewing the farmers through personal visits with the help of an especially structured and pre-tested schedule. From the cost and returns calculated, it was found that there was an increase of 2.14 per cent, 4.74 per cent and 8.71 per cent on the cost of cultivation, gross returns and net returns, respectively for beneficiaries than that of the non-beneficiaries in Kharif 2020-21. This shows farmer distress has reduced to extent and beneficiary farmers are willing to spend more for better returns. From the study it can be concluded that the beneficiary farmers are somewhat benefited from the PM-Kisan scheme.

Organic agriculture is a unique production management technique that fosters and increases agroecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity, while excluding all synthetic off-farm inputs. This research uses time series data on area, production, and trade from 2009 to 2021 to examine the growth and trajectory of organic production in India. To make reliable judgments, descriptive statistics such as percentage, average, and compound growth rates were calculated. Organic farming is becoming increasingly popular around the world. In the year 2019, over 72.28 million ha of agricultural land were managed organically by almost 3.13 million growers around the world. India boasts the world’s greatest number of organic farmers. At the moment, the total cultivated area (organic + in-conversion) is 2.65 million hectares, with 3.47 million tonnes of organic production coming from the total cultivated area. India is a major exporter of organic products to many countries around the world. During 2020-21, a total of 888180 metric tonnes was exported. As demand for organic products grows in both the local and international markets, organic food enterprises have plenty of room to expand and create cash to help the Indian farm economy.

The study attempted to critically review the status and scope of betel vine, specifically to Deo block of Aurangabad district of Bihar. Betel vine cultivation faces a serious drawback and concern to the small holder farmers. The result revealed that the most important constraints for betel vine cultivation was boroj preparation, heavy incidence of pest and diseases, high price fluctuations of betel leaves and high wages of labour as well as high input costs. The farmers also identified that lack of storage facilities and high post harvest losses as the factors that limits the cultivation of betel vines. There was also lack of labour availability and proper market information to the farmers which hampers its production, however, excess summer heat and scorching of betel leaves remains as the major concern to the farmers. Despite being several constraints farmers continue the cultivation of betel vine as it generates regular and quick cash income and offers higher net returns as compared to other crops. Betel vine cultivation also offers better opportunity for engaging family labour which makes inspection of the field easy as joint management of the farm requires less inspection.

Handloom weaving practices plays an important role in the livelihood generation of the women weavers of Assam. The present study was conducted to find out the factors affecting handloom weaving practices among the women weavers of Lakhimpur District of Assam. Data were collected through a pre-tested interview schedule. Handloom weaving practices were prevalent in different types of looms in the handloom industry. The involvement of the weavers in the handloom practices of Assam were mostly women and was found working from 2 years to above 15 years. The weavers weave almost all the products from traditional mekhela chaddar to furnishing materials. It was also found that the income of the weavers is an influencing factor for their involvement. The factors affecting the performance and productivity of the handloom products were due to the arising health-related issues among the weavers. Body pain was found very high among the weavers. Therefore, an improvement in the working environment, as well

as compatibility of the weaver and the loom, would help to mitigate the pain and discomfort among the weavers. This would further increase the productivity, performance and income of the weavers.

The purpose of the study is to examine the export competitiveness of onion with reference to India. In India, exports are allowed only after domestic requirements are met, due to which there arise year-to-year export fluctuations. Revealed Comparative Advantage Index (RCA) and Comparative Export Performance Index (CEP) are used to examine export competitiveness. The study reveals that India has comparative advantage in export of onion as compared to other major exporting nations followed by The Netherlands and Egypt. The performance index of India shows rise of Indian onion in world market, as the value of CEP index is decreasing for other exporting nations.

For analyzing the production performance of the seed spices in Rajasthan, the current study was undertaken which covered the period from 1998-99 to 2017-18. The entire period was divided into three sub-periods viz. Period I (1998-99 to 2007-08), Period II (2008-09 to 2017-18), and Overall Period (1998-99 to 2017-18). Four major seed spices mainly coriander, cumin, fennel, and fenugreek were considered for the analysis. The necessary data on the area, production, and productivity were gathered from various annual publications of Government of Rajasthan. This study aimed to analyze the growth rate and instability. For this, analytical tools such as Compound Annual Growth Rate and Instability Index (Cuddy-Della-Valle Index) were used. The study revealed that all the seed spices except the coriander showed a high growth rate during the overall period. The analysis of the instability indices revealed that the coriander was the most stable crop while fennel was highly unstable. Research-Oriented strategy, latest varieties along with an improved package of practices are necessary to develop as well as strengthen this sector.

Rice-based cropping systems refer to the type and sequence of crops grown along with rice on a piece of land in a year. Kuttanad rice ecosystems in Kerala follow different rice-based cropping systems to make cultivation lucrative. The profitability and resource use efficiency of the identified rice-based cropping systems in Kuttanad was estimated using the costs and returns method and efficiency ratio calculation. A random sample of 160 paddy farmers from Alappuzha and Kottayam districts were surveyed for data

collection. The study identified three rice-based cropping systems, CS-I (rice mono-crop), CS-II (rice-rice) and CS-III (rice-fish) sequential cropping system in the study districts. The cost of cultivation for CS-I, CS-II and CS-III was ` 88,999, ` 1,77,684 and ` 1,75,268, respectively. Human labour was the significant cost component under all three systems. The study outcomes revealed that CS-III (rice-fish) was the most lucrative rice-based system among the three rice-based systems with a return per rupee expenditure ratio of 2.52, followed by CS-I (1.88) and CS-II (1.60). Productivity of the resources utilized was assessed by fitting the Cobb-Douglas production function. The efficiency of the inputs utilized was far from unity indicated the inefficient use of resources in the three cropping systems. Machine labour, human labour and lime were underused under CS-I, while the plant protection chemicals applied to check the pest and disease attack were over utilized under the same system. Under CS-II, resources such as machine labour and fertilizer were underutilized, whereas human labour was over-utilized for autumn rice. The resources such as human labour and plant protection chemicals were underutilized for rice production under CS-III, with MVP to MFC ratios of 3.72 and 9.1, respectively. At the same time, the feed used for fish production was underutilized with a very high-efficiency ratio indicating the scope of increasing fish feed to enhance the fish yield. The government of Kerala should reinstate the ‘One rice and one fish’ scheme which would earn considerate returns to the paddy farmers in Kerala. Government initiatives toestablish public custom hiring centers would reduce the cost incurred for machine labour.

Coriander is among the major seed spices grown in the country. Madhya Pradesh followed by Rajasthan and Gujarat together accounts for 85-90 percent of total coriander production in the country. Present study investigated the dynamics of spatial (both intra-state and inter-state) as well as temporal relationshipbetween coriander prices in India. The Kota and Baran markets from Rajasthan were selected to study the intra-state whereas Guna market from Madhya Pradesh and Kota market from Rajasthan was selected to examine the inter-state price relationship. The temporal analysis was conducted between futures (with delivery centre at Kota) and spot (Kota) price series of coriander. The monthly coriander prices from August 2008 to July 2020 were collected and analyzed for the study. The Johansen cointegration test and Vector Error Correction Mechanism (VECM) were used to investigate the long and short run relationship whereas Granger causality was used to examine the direction of causality between two price series. The study confirmed spatial as well as temporal correlation between coriander prices which can be further explored in many ways to achieve and strengthen the marketing efficiency.

The price behaviour of different agricultural commodities and the responsiveness of market arrivals to the price movement to reduce the gap in market arrival mark the need for analyzing the market arrivals and prices. This study is based on the secondary data of 15 years from 2005-06 to 2019-20 which was collected from APMC Solapur and APMC Pandharpur in Solapur district. For the analytical framework, the Exponential Regression Equation was used to study the trend in arrivals and prices. During the study

period, in Solapur market, arrival was highest in August and the lowest in April. Pandharpur market observed maximum arrival in July whereas the lowest arrival in February. In terms of prices, Solapur market witnessed maximum price per quintal in September whereas minimum price per quintal in May. Pandharpur market recorded highest price per quintal of Pomegranate in February and the lowest price per quintal in November. During the study period, Solapur market witnessed highest positive growth rate whereas Pandharpur market reported a non-significant growth in terms of arrival among the selected markets. In terms of prices, Solapur market showed a positive and significant growth rate while Pandharpur market observed a negative and non-significant growth during the study period. The

main season for arrivals of the pomegranate in both markets was from August to December.

The present study was undertaken to access the price trend of Basmati rice in domestic and International market and export competitiveness of Basmati rice as it accounts a major share to the export basket of India and generates higher earning due to high value in both international and domestic market compared to other agricultural commodities. The secondary data required to achieve the objectives were collected from the APEDA, DGCIS and Indiastat website for a period of 20 years (1999-2000 to 2018-2019). The trend in domestic and international price was estimated by using different parametric models and Nominal Protection Coefficient (NPC) was used to study the export competitiveness. The trend analysis showed that among all the competitive parametric models, exponential model was best fitted for both domestic and international price. The NPC value concluded that for all the three periods taken into consideration, Basmati rice was highly competitive in global market. Therefore, there is comparative advantage in the export of Basmati rice and concerned efforts must be taken up to effectively utilise its export potential.

Profitability is the major objective of any farm or firm. The high wage rate in the state and the rapid rise in the cost of cultivation have raised questions regarding the profitability of crop cultivation in Kerala. The post reform period has been a period of agrarian distress with falling prices and declining income of the farmers There has been a tendency for the farmer to withdraw from paddy cultivation in Kerala due to uneconomic returns.. Cultivation of paddy and other annual crops is a losing proposition. In the background of this context, this study attempts to compute the profitability of crop cultivation of seven selected crops in the state. The data published in the Cost of Cultivation reports of the Department of Economics and Statistics, Government of Kerala is used in this study. Though there has been a rapid increase in wage rate and the cost of cultivation, the study shows that the gross value of output has increased faster. The farmer being rational has resorted to coping strategies like reducing the percentage of hired human labour in the total operational cost. When considering Cost A, crop cultivation has been profitable, but while considering cost B, crop cultivation has been highly unprofitable. The rapid increase in the value of land is the prime cause for the spiraling increase in cost B. Banana, Pepper and tapioca has been the most profitable crops in the state. The profitability of paddy crop has not been commensurate when compared to the profit accruing to other crops in Kerala. Any effort to increase the area under paddy cultivation must provide price and non-price incentives to the farmers.

This study has predicted commercial banks’ financial distress in India using the Altman Z-score model and the Emerging market model. All the Public sector banks listed in the National stock exchange were considered in this research from 2010 to 2019. The Altman Z-score formula is Z = 1.2X1 + 1.4X2 + 3.3X3 + 0.6X4 + 1.0X5. The criteria for assessing a Z-score are > 2.99 is categorized as a safe zone; healthy banks will fall under this category. 1.80 < Z-score < 2.99 is the gray zone, banks falling under this category have a chance of being safe as well as going bankrupt. Z-score < 1.80 is a distress zone; banks’ falling under this category are at high risk of bankruptcy and may go bankrupt within two years. Emerging market model is Z = 3.25 + 6.56X1 + 3.26X2 + 6.72X3 + 1.05X4. The criteria for assessing emerging market Z-score are > 2.60 is categorized as a safe zone; 1.10 < Z-score < 2.60 is the gray zone and Z-score < 1.10 is a distress zone. Independent t-test was used test the hypothesis of the study. The results of both models (Altman Z-score model and Emerging market Z-score model) separately provided outcomes that were two extremes in the opposite direction. The findings of the emerging market Z-score model were more relatable to reallife observed (during the period selected for study) scenarios in the banks, i.e., both public sector as well private sector banks are in the safe zone.

The present study has a focus on the pricing decision of green leaves which is interlinked with different stages of marketing. The small tea growers of Golaghat district of Assam has grown rapidly from the 1990s due to various stimulus present in the tea market. It is viewed that the small tea growers in Assam is almost 15000 in numbers produce only green leaves which is the basic raw material for tea . The green leaves price is dependent on the bought leaf factories decision, role of collection agents and estates factories

price fixation, and it is seen that small tea growers are a price taker. The price of the small tea growers is also impacted by its quality and various agro-climatic, agronomic, and pricing formulas. The correlation of prices of tea in different forms in different markets has shown a good degree of importance now a days. However, the price of tea as green leaves is being seriously affected by the rising cost of inputs. The study has recommended for the better quality of tea to gain good price which starts with fine plucking which should be accompanied by orientation towards organic with a lesser degree of absorption of soil with optimal management of tea bushes.

The objective of this paper was to assess the current status of farm machinery manufacturers in Madhya Pradesh along with farm machinery market size, production potential and demand of farm machinery using primary data. To achieve the goal, primary data were collected through pre-tested and wellstructured proforma in 2017-18 adopting post-stratified random sampling technique. The market size of farm machinery manufacturing sector was estimated to be INR 7.56 (±0.21) Billion. There were 53% manufacturers with an annual turnover less than INR 10 Million and only 3 % manufactures had annual turnover more than INR 150 Million. High coefficient of variation for advance tools like vertical milling centre (660%) and CNC (Computer numeric control) machine (358%) indicated non uniform utilization of advance tools which affects the quality of manufactured farm implements. The survey conducted in the study region had manufactures producing around 45 different farm implements for agriculture. Investigation revealed that the production of the implements like rotavator, laser land leveler, reaper, combine harvester, chaff cutter and spray were less than its demand, which prompted the users to import these implements from neighboring States like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab. The study showed that 43 % of the total manufacturers were integrated with Madhya Pradesh Government subsidy scheme. The manufactures of Madhya Pradesh also exported farm implements like reversible Mould Board plough to South Asian country and other developing country.

The present study examined the economics of milk production in Mizoram with reference to input-output relationship, cost-benefits ratio and marketing channels, using stratified sampling technique to select the sample farmers according to the herd size. Descriptive statistical tools and regression models have been used to analyse the data. Although dairy farming requires a large amount of capital for starting up and monthly average variable cost also being very high, returns from sale of milk and other sources produce a sizeable amount of income to the cattle farmers. Findings show that the dairy farming was found to be profitable activity which is justified by its cost-benefit ratio which is greater than one (1.7). Dairying farming has been subject to decreasing returns to scale. Dairy farmers are faced with various kinds of constraints. Appropriate measures are suggested to address these constraints in order to enhance the profitability and viability of dairy farming and to develop the sector as a whole.

Dairy is one of the prominent livelihoods for smallholder farmers across India. It plays a significant role in sustaining the rural livelihood and provides employment to 18 million people and nearly 70 percent of them are women. It acts as an alternative source of income for the farm family. The study was conducted in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh with the objectives to study the socio-economic status of dairy farmers. The sample size of 160 dairy farmers was randomly selected for the study and data were collected through personal interview method during 2019-20. A multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted for the study. Banda consists of eight blocks, out of which two blocks were selected randomly viz. Badokhar Khurd & Tindwari. Four villages were selected randomly from each selected block to constitute a total of eight villages and 20 Dairy farmers were selected from each selected village. Majority of respondents were from the middle age group within the range of 34-54 years and most of them were less educated. It was observed that most of the respondents had marginal landholding with medium annual income ranging between 1 lakh to 3 lakh rupees. It was reported from the study that the majority of the respondents had a joint and large family with most of them having Kaccha housing patterns. Most of the respondents were involved in dairy & wage-earning with a medium level of herd size (3-5). It is reported from the study that the majority of the respondents preferred medium mass media utilization & don’t had membership of any organization.