Vegetable Crops: Risks and Losses Faced by Farmers

Abstract

Farming activities take place in a highly variable biophysical and economic environment which poses numerous types of risks. Risk perception plays a key role in the production as well as investment behavior of farmers. But limited attention has been paid to understand its nature in cash-crop farming such as fruits and vegetables. To get the deeper understanding of the major factors constraining production of vegetables, an analysis of the farmers’ perception on various risk factors in vegetables is carried out. There are different types of the risks and uncertainties involved in different vegetable crops. The present study describes some of the factors constituting uncertainties that limit the farm production and productivity. The study is focused on the various risk factors that are highly worried by the sample population and highlights the losses caused by these factors which are involved in different vegetable crops. The study is conducted in Haryana state. The study also highlights the loss bearing capacity of the respondents and concludes that there is a great difference between the actual average losses experienced by the farmers and loss bearing capacity of the farmers. The study also gives suggestion to make stronger the economy of the farmers, all types of risks and crops should be covered under the insurance policies formulated by the government at present or in the future. Effective measures should be taken to properly manage the risks faced by the farmers.