Optimization of Profit and Land Resources for Marginal/Small Farmers - A Linear Programming Approach

Abstract

The study was aimed to optimize the profit and land resources for marginal and small farmers of four different villages of Karnal zone, Haryana, for both seasons, i.e., Kharif and Rabi using a linear programming approach. The crops sown by the farmers in the Kharif season were rice and Jowar, whereas, in the Rabi season, wheat, mustard, and barseem crops were taken. Data regarding total land holding, season-wise land allocated to crops, man-days, operating capital, and net returns of the farmer enterprise was collected through a pre-structured schedule. Linear programming models were developed separately for marginal and small farmers. In the Kharif season, marginal farmers took the same net returns through both farmer's plans and LP model, i.e LP suggested that the farmer's plan was optimum, but net returns can be increased slightly (up to 3.25%) by using remaining resources. In Rabi season, marginal farmers can raise net returns to 2.61%, but they can get more profit up to 8.08% by using left over resources. Net returns of small farmers can be increased to 8.88% and 5.11% in both Kharif and Rabi seasons, respectively, without imposing any restriction on minimum land allocation to particular crops. If maximum/minimum requirement constraint on land allocation to crops is imposed, the cropping pattern suggests that the returns can be raised up to 12.20% and 1.45 % in both Kharif and Rabi seasons, respectively.