COST AND PROFITABILITY ANALYSIS OF CHERRY PRODUCTION: THE CASE STUDY OF DISTRICT QUETTA, PAKISTAN

Rana Shahzad Noor, Fiaz Hussain, Muhammad Umar Farooq, Muhammad Umair

DOI: 10.26480/bda.02.2020.74.80

ABSTRACT
This project had been conducted in Quetta, Balochistan which is one of Pakistan’s most important cherry production areas, for the aim of organic cherry production opportunities project, started in 2016. The main scope of this study is to determine whether cherry production is rational when compared with unit cost and net return per unit, and also to provide suggestions by using data obtained from cherry farmers in Balochistan district of Quetta using face-to – face survey method. The research included Pishin, Ziarat, Zhob and Loralai that are adjacent to the district of Quetta. The sample size for the study is calculated using a proportional sampling formula that takes into account 90 per cent confidence interval and 10 per cent error margin. Accordingly, the research has included 62 farmers. The data in this study was from the production of cherry in 2016 through 2019. Firstly, this analysis revealed socio-economic characteristics of cherry farmers. Then economic analysis was carried out on cherry production. Yield per hectare and per tree, marketing structure and farmer prices, variable and fixed cost per hectare, and net profit per hectare, were determined at this stage of the study. The results from this study showed that cherry production in Pakistan is more competitive and a sustainable activity.

KEYWORDS
Cherry Production, Quetta, Socio-economic characteristics, Economic Analysis, Profitability Analysis