IDENTIFICATION AND ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS OF JALDHAKA UPAZILA OF NILPHAMARI DISTRICT

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the economic returns from homestead, cropland and orchard agroforestry systems of Jaldhaka upazila under Nilphamari district. Extensive field survey and field measurements were undertaken during July to December, 2017 in 20 villages under 4 unions of the study area. A multistage random sampling procedure was followed in this study. A pre-structured questionnaire was used for collecting the benefits and costs data. A total of 60 agroforestry practices including 20 homesteads, 20 orchards and 20 croplands were evaluated for cost and benefit Analysis. Normality test of income and cost data was done by Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test. Three years production costs and gross income data were collected from the field survey. Linear regression equation was obtained by using trend line in MS Excel to forecast seven years of gross income and production cost data of different agroforestry systems. Benefit-cost ratio (BCR) was determined up to ten years by using actual and forecasted gross income and production cost data of three agroforestry systems. Results of the production cost analysis showed that though significantly maximum production cost was in cropland agroforestry system (Tk. 145002 per ha.) followed by orchard (Tk. 118836 per ha.) and minimum in homestead agroforestry system (Tk. 21280 per ha.) in the 1st year. Production cost decreasing trend was recorded in the successive years in all the systems. Forecasted data shows that after 7.5 years; all production costs were zero in orchard and cropland, while in homestead the same was zero after 9.5 years. Gross income analysis of agroforestry shows that though initial gross income was significantly higher in cropland agroforestry followed by orchard and lowest gross income was in homestead agroforestry system but after 10 years highest gross income was found in homestead agroforestry system (Tk. 25440472 per ha.) and lowest gross income was found in cropland agroforestry system (Tk. 1735258 per ha.). The net income indicated that orchard agroforestry system is financially more profitable than cropland and orchard agroforestry systems. But the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) is higher in cropland as well as orchard agroforestry systems and lower in homestead agroforestry system. The findings suggest that orchard agroforestry system is economically more profitable than homestead and cropland agroforestry systems. The study revealed that within the agroforestry systems (homestead, cropland and orchard) 13 types of agroforestry practices were recorded based on the perennial tree (s). The practices were mixed home garden, Eucalyptus based orchard, Mango+ Litchi based orchard, Mango based orchard, Jackfruit based orchard, Ghora neem based cropland, Malta based cropland, Lemon based orchard, Eucalyptus+Mahogoni based orchard, Eucalyptus+Ghora neem based cropland, Betel nut based cropland and Bay leaf based orchard. However, mixed home garden occupied the maximum and Malta, Lemon, Eucalyptus+Mahogoni, Eucalyptus+Ghora neem, Betel nut, and Bay leaf based agroforestry practices occupied lowest number. The result of agroforestry practices in Jaldhaka upazila showed that betel nut based cropland agroforestry practice was more profitable than other practices.