COSTS AND RETURNS STRUCTURE OF TURMERIC (CURCUMA LONGA LINN.) AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY PRODUCERS IN JAINTIA HILLS DISTRICT OF MEGHALAYA, INDIA

Cultivation of turmeric in Meghalaya provides supplementary income to the farmers. The average yield of fresh turmeric in the study area is 49q/ha which on drying gives an approximate yield of about 14.7q/ha of semi-processed (dried) turmeric. The share of variable cost is about 98 % of the total cost. The total costs of cultivation (cost C2) for turmeric was estimated at `77,012/ha whereas the net income was worked out to be `6,475/ha for fresh turmeric and `28,109/ha for dried turmeric. About `12,719/ha of additional expenditure is incurred on post-harvest management of turmeric. It is observed that a higher net income is obtained when the farmers disposed off the product after drying which also gives the farmers the capacity to hold/store their product to avoid distress sale. The cost of production of turmeric is `15.68/kg, `60.93/kg and `/70.17/kg for fresh, semi-processed and processed (powdered) form, respectively. Lack of knowledge about pest management is the major constraint faced by farmers in production whereas the fluctuation in disposal price of turmeric ranks first among the marketing constraints faced by farmers.