An economic analysis of organic apple cultivation in the Foothills of Saramati mountain range: A case study of Thanamir village of Kiphire district, Nagaland

Abstract

A study was carried out to assess the production and marketing condition of apple (Malus domestica L.) in the Thanamir village of Nagaland. With diverse agro-climatic condition, varied soil and low temperature with wide regional variation, this region is highly suitable for cultivation of apple. This article focuses on the importance of apple fruit, its utilization and the economic profitability from apple crop based farming system. Research survey of farmers producing apple was conducted in 2022. Total of one hundred thirty (132) apple producers were selected using random sampling methods. The result shows BCR was estimated to be 1.95, which was found greater than unity. This showed that the apple farming is quite profitable in Thanamir. The finding shows that Cobb-Douglas production function exhibits increasing return to scale. The study concluded that apple cultivation can be made viable enterprise with increased focus on investment climate by subsidising farm input, providing affordable loans to the farmers for a sustainable production and strengthening rural infrastructure. The study pointed out that the apple cultivation could be a highly beneficial and market-oriented activity in Thanamir.