Yields, costs and returns from horticultural crops: Evidence from field survey in Haryana

This paper aims to analyse the returns from four horticultural crops vis-àvis non-horticultural crops during 2008?09. It also probes into employment generation through cultivation of these crops. This study was based on field survey data collected from three districts of Haryana. The main findings revealed that the gross returns per acre from garlic cultivation were found to be higher than other horticultural crops during this year and this was true for net returns as well. The selected horticultural crops generated higher employment in comparison to traditional crops. In particular, garlic generated highest employment per acre in terms of labour days. The net returns from kharif, Rabi and horticultural crops grown by the farmers indicated that the garlic followed by the flowers, aonla and guava were far superior crops in terms of profitability in comparison to the traditional crops like wheat and paddy on sampled farms in Haryana.