An Economic Analysis of Production of Cashew Nut (Anacardium occidentale) in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh

The present study entitled “An Economic Analysis of Production of cashew nut in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh” was conducted in the year 2019-2020. The study made use of a multi-stage sampling and random sampling technique to select 105 farmers among the selected villages. Data for the selected study were collected with the aid of well-structured questionnaires. Data collected were analyzed using the tabulation method along with the required statistical tool. The Production of Cashew nut has increased in the area largely due to productivity increase and increase in the area under crop. Resource use structure in Cashew nut was found to be varied among the size groups. The per cost of cultivation was varied among the size groups of Cashew nut was highest on the small size (Rs.54415.98) and lowest on the large size (Rs.48317.64) and medium (Rs.52748.27) on the medium size the input-output ratio is highest on large size farms and lowest on small size farms.


INTRODUCTION
Cashewnut (Anacardium occidental), also call ed as 'wonder nut,' is native to Brazil and is of greater commercial value. It was introduced by the Portuguese traveller's in the sixteenth century in the Malabar Coast.
Cashew nut, popularly also known as the "Gold Mine of Waste Land". It is noted for its wide adaptability, its variety of soil and agro-climate, as well as its ecofriendly behaviour.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was conducted in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh which is one of the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Srikakulam district comprises of 38 blocks among 2 blocks were selected i.e Vajarapu Kotoru and Palasa blocks were selected for the study. A list of 6 villages was selected randomly out of them. A list of all Cashew nut farmers/ respondents is prepared with the help of the head of the villages pradhan or head of each selected villages in both block, thereafter farmers/respondents are categorized in 3 size groups based on their landholding and then from each village 10% farmers were selected randomly from all the different size of farm groups.
Data for the study was collected from all 105 farmers randomly i.e 45 small farmers, 40 medium farmers and 20 large farmers.
Tabulation method is used for the analysis of data along with required statistical tools for the interpretation of the results for the objectives. The table 1 reveals that among the different size of farms, the total cost incurred by the small farms were high (Rs.54415.98/ha) as compared to medium and large size farms (Rs.52748.277/ha and Rs.50767.64/ha). Sample average for total cost was Rs.52644.1/ha in different size of farms group. The cost of human labour, fertilizers, seeds were the items for the cost with major share in the variable costs, because most of the operations like harvesting and weeding were human labour intensive operations and the other operations like land preparation and inter culture were bullock labour cost of human labour intensive. The distribution of the pattern of operational cost under various inputs revealed that cost of human labour was highest in large size farms (Rs.6800 /ha), as compared to medium-size farms (Rs.6500/ha) and lowest in small size farms (Rs.6000/ha).
Machinery cost was Rs.2500/ha in small size farms and for medium-size farms was (Rs.2800/ha) and large size farms (Rs.3000/ha). The cost of seeds was highest in small size farms (Rs.4500/ha), as compared to medium-size farms (Rs.4125/ha) and lowest in large size farms (Rs.3750/ha). As Cashew nut would respond well with chemical fertilizer so the cost of farmyard manure used was ranged from Rs.3200/ha in large size farms, Rs.3650/ha in medium-size farms and Rs.3850/ha in small size farms. Whereas, the expenditure on fertilizers was highest in small size farms (Rs.15000/ha), as compared to medium-size farm (Rs.14500/ha) and lowest in large size farms (14000/ha) respectively. Sample average for depreciation on fixed resources was Rs.1486.13. Interest on working capital Rs.2780.4, interest on fixed capital was Rs.539.23, labour charges for different size of farms group are Rs.3083.33.
The cost rental value of own land was Rs.10000/ha in Small, medium and large size of farms group respectively. Sample average for the rental value of own land was Rs.10000/ha for different size of farm groups.     95584.02/ha) respectively. The average yield of Cashew nut in different size of farms group was 10.26 qtls/ha. The yield was highest in case of large size farms (10.5 qtls/ha) as compared to medium (10.3 qtls/ha) and small size farms (10 qtls/has) respectively. Average cost of production per quintal was Rs.5130.99qtl/ha. Gross returns per hectare was Rs.153900. Input output Ratio was highest in large size farms (1:2.1) followed by medium size farms (1:1.92) and lowest in small size farms group (1:1.75). In the above anova table, in due to size group degrees of freedom is 6, sum of squares is 60829771338.4, mean sum of squares is 10138295223.0, F. Calculated value is 60.364, F. tabulated value @ 5% is 4.2838, result is Significant, standard deviation is 5526.6 and critical difference is @ 5% is 11992.87. In due to particulars, degrees of freedom is 1, sum of squares is 89538941.5, mean sum of squares is 89538941.5, F. Calculated value is 0.533, F. tabulated value @ 5% is 5.987, result is nonsignificant, standard deviation is 8442.1 and critical difference is 18319.42. In error, degrees of freedom are 6, sum of squares is