Comparative Socioeconomic of Rice Seed and Grain Production in Kanchanpur District of Nepal

Abstract

Rice is the number-one staple crop in Nepal. However, its production economics may differ when it is grown as grain for immediate consumption or as seed for further planting. Therefore, a study was conducted to compare the input use, productivity, and profitability of rice seed and grain production in the Kanchanpur district of Nepal. Altogether, 94 samples were taken: 30 from rice seed growers and 64 from rice grain growers. Selected households were interviewed with a pre-tested, semi-structured interview schedule. Data entry and analysis were done using SPSS and MS Excel, where statistical modules like gross margin, benefit-cost analysis, indexing techniques, and the t-test were employed to derive the inferences needed. The study showed that the productivity of rice as a seed crop (4.73 ± 0 t/ha) was found to be significantly higher than grain production (3.72 ± 0 t/ha), as well as that the benefit/cost ratio (BCR) of seed production (1.71) was much higher than that of rice grain production (1.23). The costs associated with labor, seed, organic manure, chemical fertilizer, herbicide, and machinery were significantly higher (P<0.05) for seed producers than for grain producers, indicating that seed producers exhibited notably more efficient input utilization. Moreover, both seed and grain growers found the unavailability of quality inputs (I = 0.76) as the major production constraint and the unavailability of processing units (I = 0.71) as the major marketing constraint. This research suggests that the input use, productivity, and profitability of seed production are higher than grain production in rice. Nevertheless, future research on input management strategies and production and marketing factors can provide valuable insights to further validate the outcomes of this study.