Ann.M. S. Bangladesh Islam, M. Kamruzzaman Agric. (2018) and22 (1) K. :T. 107-118 Rahman ISSN 1025-482X (Print)107 2521-5477 (Online) ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF DIFFERENT AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES IN TANGAIL DISTRICT M. S. Islam1, M. Kamruzzaman2* and K. T. Rahman2 Abstract The present study was carried out on agroforestry at Madhupur upazilla under Tangail district to identify the different agroforestry practices and determine the profitability of mostly practiced agroforesty system. The important practices are Akashmoni-Pineapple- ginger, Akashmoni-Pineapple-Aroid, and Jackfruit-Pineapple-Aroid. Primary data were collected from 120 farmers from four villages under Madhupur Upazilla of Tangail district. Per hectare total return was the highest in case of Akashmoni-Pineapple- Ginger practice Tk. 3446300 followed by Akashmoni-Pineapple-Aroid practice Tk. 3180400 and Jackfruit-Pineapple-Aroid practice Tk. 2470790. Inter temporal budget for Jackfruit-Pineapple-Aroid agroforestry production system for 20 years explained that the cash flow in the st1 year was negative but it became positive from second year and it continued in subsequent years. Sensitivity Analysis shows that Jackfruit- Pineapple- Aroid agroforestry system for 20 years was sensible to increment and reduction of cost and gross returns. On the basis of farmers’ opinion, the major problems for different agroforestry systems were jackfruit borer, low price of pineapple, high price of inputs, attack of bat and squirrel on jackfruit and hedgehog on pineapple. Keywords: Fruits, gross margin, net returns, BCR, profitability. Introduction increasing demand of over population, i.e. cereals, vegetables, fish, meat, milk and egg Bangladesh has poor forest resources which is due to lack of modem techniques, inputs and decreasing day-by-day due to several reasons. available land. Furthermore, the land hungry agricultural sector is converting forest land to agricultural Agroforestry system having multipurpose tree uses to feed the burgeoning population of plantation increased soil fertility, supplied Bangladesh. Due to this deforestation, serious fuel wood, generated work and improved imbalances have already been created in the socioeconomic condition of the farmers (Alam eco-systems. et al., 2004). Farmer also gets their basic need such as food, fodder, fuel wood and timber Multiple productions from homesteads and from the same piece of land by practicing croplands are indispensable for a country different agroforestry system. As agroforestry like Bangladesh where the population provides multiple products including fruits, growth rate is very high and faster than its vegetables, nutrition, fuel wood, fodder etc to agricultural growth rate. The country cannot the households, it could be a good option to produce enough food to meet up the ever overcome the aforementioned situation. 1Department of Agricultural Extension, Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh, 2Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh. *Corresponding author: [email protected] 108 Economic Aspects of Different Agroforestry Practices in Tangail District The human civilization initiated with the the study will be helpful to the researchers, cultivation of crops by the ancient humans farmers, planners and development workers close or nearby their inhabitancy in the forest. who will conduct further studies of the similar It was agroforestry. At this state of advanced nature and encourage them in conducting more civilization, the modem people are going comprehensive and detailed investigation back to agroforestry with the principle of in the particular field. Therefore, the present growing trees in all possible places including study was undertaken (i) to identify the homesteads and crop field. In both the cases, different agroforestry practices in the study there is an association of trees with other area and (ii) to determine the profitability of food/ feed producing plants and/or useful mostly practiced agroforesty system in the animals which constitute the fundamental study area. principle of agroforestry (Haque et al., 1996). However, due to lack of modem knowledge, Materials and Methods the potential benefits of agroforestry are Study area still remaining entrapped. To take the full The selected villages were Chuniadanab advantage of perceived potentials, there is an Bandha and Beribadh of Auronkhola union urgent need to identify and strengthen efforts and Naim para and Moterbazar of Ausnara to develop sustainable agroforestry production union under Madhupur Upazilla of Tangail and utilization systems for maximizing district. production and income by knowing the existing opportunities and limitation, and Sampling procedure scope for future improvement. Agroforestry system, more particularly, tree- pineapple in At the first phase of the study, homesteads association with vegetables system may be having potential agroforestry practices popular among the farmers if some positive of the four villages were recorded with steps are taken for improving its production the cooperation from the Sub Assistant and different management practices. Before Agricultural Officer. From the documented giving any policy options on the development homesteads, three hundred sixty homesteads/ of tree-pineapple in association with vegetables farmers taking ninety homesteads/ farmers system as well as increasing fruit, vegetable from each village were randomly selected for and pineapple as well as timber production, data collection. At the second phase, detail relevant and adequate information on various information on agronomic and economic aspects of the system at farm level is required. aspects of the three top most agroforestry But such information is very limited due to practices was investigated. For this purpose, lack of adequate research in the field. Different 40 sample homesteads/farmers for each researchers also suggested detailed studies in agroforestry practice was randomly selected. the existing agroforestry systems (Aktar et al., Therefore, a total of 120 sample homesteads/ 1989; Singh et al., 2001; Baten, M. A. 1992; farmers for the 3 agroforestry systems/ Abedin et al., 1990; Miah et al., 2001; Hasan, practices were selected for the study and M. K. 2005). The generated information of investigated. There were 860 households in M. S. Islam, M. Kamruzzaman and K. T. Rahman 109 the study area. Among them 120 households labor cost. Farmers did not use any kind of were selected following simple random chemicals for pest or disease management. sampling technique. The distribution of the respondent households against each village is Estimation of benefit from Jackfruit and shown in Table 1 below: Akashmoni tree cultivation Generally, Jackfruit trees start bearing fruits Data collection and period of the study at 4-5 years age. On the basis of farmer’s The study was conducted during the period statements, jackfruit benefit was calculated from April, 2012 to September, 2012 by by multiplying average price of the Jackfruit direct interviewing of the respondents through with the total number of Jackfruit. Jackfruit interview schedule and discussion with the tree take at lest 5-10 year to produce economic concerned experienced farmers. valuable log of those tree. On the basis of farmer’s statements, Jackfruit trees benefit Estimation of benefit from crop (Pineapple, was calculated by multiplying expected Aroid, Ginger) average price of the log of jackfruit tree with Benefits of each crop were calculated by the total number of jackfruit trees. Akashmoni multiplying the total output by their prevailing tree take at lest 5-10 year to produce economic average unit market price. By-products prices valuable log of those tree. On the basis of were computed according to estimation farmer’s statements, Akashmoni trees benefit provided by the farmers. was calculated by multiplying expected average price of the log Akashmoni tree with Estimation of cost of Jackfruit and Akashmoni tree cultivation the total number of Akashmoni trees. Generally, at planting time, farmers do not use Analytical techniques any sort of fertilizers in pits. Pits were 0.3 m x 0.3 m x 0.3 m in size. Farmers themselves The information so selected was tabulated provided labor in all production and and analyzed for achieving the objectives of management activities. Therefore, opportunity the study. Different analytical techniques are cost principle was applied in calculating described below. Table 1. Distribution of population and sample respondents Total number of Respondent household heads Name of Union Name of village households interviewed Arankhola Chuniadanab bandha 220 30 Arankhola Beri badh 180 30 Ausnara Moter Bazar 250 30 Ausnara Naim para 210 30 Total 860 120 110 Economic Aspects of Different Agroforestry Practices in Tangail District Profitability analysis Results and Discussion Profit or net return is the difference between Profitability analysis of different agroforestry total revenue (gross return) i.e. total value practice product (TVP) and total factor cost (TFC). Total costs, Fixed costs, and Variable costs Total factor cost included all kinds of variable Table 3 shows that per hectare total variable and fixed cost concerned with the production cost (TVC) was highest in case of Jackfruit- process. A farmer will not know maximum profit unless the TVP is compared with TFC. Pineapple-Aroid practice (Tk. 376060) Farmer’s profit was also shown by gross followed by Akashmoni- Pineapple-ginger