The present paper entitled “Economic Analysis of Production of beet in Maharashtra” was undertaken with the specific objectives viz; i. To estimate cost and return structure in beet cultivation ii. To estimate resource use productivity and resource use efficiency in beet production and iii. To examine the constraints in beet production

Data for the present study were collected from two tahasils of Pune district viz., Ambegaon and junner. These tahasils were selected according to maximum area under beet. In all six villages, three villages from each tahasil were selected randomly and from six villages 90 beet farmers were selected. Beet farmers were selected on the basis of area under beet i.e. 0.01 to 0.20 ha first group, 0.21 to 0.40 second group and 0.41 ha and above third group.

Per hectare cost of cultivation of beet for first, second and third group was Rs. 152607, Rs. 130428.20, Rs 104786, respectively. The cost of cultivation decreases with increase in size of beet area. The share of hired human labour at overall level was Rs.13856.68 which accounted to 11.48 per cent of cost ‘C’. The share of manures and plant protection was Rs.16833.88 Rs. 6875.90 which accounts to 13.95 per cent and 5.70 per cent, respectively. Seed alone shares 14.12 per cent to the cost ‘C’.

Per hectare yield was worked out to 168.89 quintals, 174.38 quintals and 141.46 qtls in first, second and third group respectively. At overall level it was 155.83 quintals. The per quintal cost of cultivation at overall level was Rs. 774.12.

B: C ratio in first, second and third groups were worked out to 1.12, 1.29 and 1.26, at cost C. The B: C ratio at overall level at cost ‘C’ was worked out to 1.24.

The per hectare use of human labour days was 209. 15 man days for first group 162.13 days for second group and 129.69 days for third group. Among the size class of farms, hired human labour was decreases with the increase in size groups.

The per hectare use of bullock labour was 4.41 pair days at overall level. The bullock labour requirement was higher on small first group farm i.e. 1.27 pair days followed by 0.42 pair days on second group of farm and it was not used on third group farm. In the contrary, the machine labours were used at highest (10.42 hrs) in third group.

In case of the resource use productivities in beet root cultivation for different size group of farms, it was observed that all seven variables viz., total human labour (X₁), bullock labour (X₂), manures (X₃), nitrogen (X₄), phosphorus (X₅), potash (X₆) and plant protection charges (X₇), included in the production function analysis have jointly explained 85 per cent of the total variation in the output of beet root. At the overall manures, phosphorus, potash and plant protection were significant for which the output was responsive.

The constraints faced by farmers in production was high cost of seed, high wages of labour, high cost of pesticides and fertilizers and shortage of labour in peak period. In these constraints high cost of seeds and shortage of labour were most serious problems.