Economic Analysis of the Processing of Apricot-Based Products in the Union Territory of Ladakh: 24247
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https://doi.org/10.35716/IJED-24247
Author: Mansoor Hussain, Nazir Hussain and Nasreen Fatima
Author Address: Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kargil, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir, Srinagar-190025 (Jammu and Kashmir)
Abstract
The Union
Territory of Ladakh is the leading apricot producer in India and produces 65
per cent of the total production in India. Bitter
apricot, locally known as Khantey, accounts for 16 per cent of apricot
varieties and is the most commonly processed type. The present study was
undertaken in 2022-23 to analyse the costs and returns of the apricot
processing unit and to identify the constraints faced by the processor. Data
were collected through personal interviews with 5 processors, randomly selected
from the twin districts of Ladakh. The
study found that the total processing cost to produce the jam was ?10.86 lakh,
and the net return realised was ?3.39 lakh, yielding a profit of ?59 per kg of
the product. In the processing of apricot oil,
the total processing cost was ?5.38 lakh, and the net return realised was ?2.77
lakh. The profit earned per kg of the product was ?12 per litre of oil.
The
major constraints faced by the processors were low domestic demand and limited
knowledge of quality issues. This study
suggested that the government should take appropriate steps to encourage
processors to produce products that can compete nationally.
Keywords
Bitter apricot,
gross return, jam, oil, processing, profit.
JEL Codes
L66, Q12, Q13,
Q16.