A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF COST OF PRODUCTION AND DECISION MAKING ANALYSIS IN CASE OF ONION AND SUNFLOWER CROPS IN QUETTA DISTRICT

The agricultural economy of Pakistan is facing severe challenges due to the rapidly growing demand for water resources. Efficient water management is becoming the single most important regional and global resource management challenge, which not only increases the availability of water for agriculture but also saves it for other uses. In Balochistan, the situation is worse; the farmers of tube-well-irrigated agriculture are paying only Rs.4000 per month as electricity tariff, which discourages farmers to use more water. This study aims how by transforming the existing cropping pattern, we can ensure the efficient use of available water resources. Onion and other high delta corps are growing in the tube well irrigated areas extensively; on the other hand farmers can grow low delta crops like sunflower successfully. According to the study results the benefit cost ratio of sunflower (1.99:1) is higher than that of the onion crop (1.43:1). The results of expected value approach model revealed that growing sunflower with an expected value of Rs. 8,566 per acre and low water requirement is a recommended decision as compared with the onion’s, for which expected value is Rs.7,502 acre, with high water requirements