Sugarcane occupies a very prominent position on the agricultural map of India. Historically, India is the original home of Saccharum barberi and New Guinea is the Centre of origin of Saccharum officinarum. Sugarcane is an important agro industry crop in India plays a pivotal role in national economic by contributing per cent to gross domestic product, form an important component in cropping pattern of the sugarcane growers, provide an essential commodity in the form of sugar and jiggery and solves the problem of green fodder for half of the year. The crop is cultivated in million hectare producing more than million tones with a productivity of about tonnes per hectare. In India, Maharashtra contributes about 45 per cent in area ( lakh hectare) and production ( million tonnes) with per cent of total sugarcane production. On the basis of high area under sugarcane crop Shevgaon and Newasa tehsils were selected. From selected two tehsils 6 villages were selected purposely on the basis of highest area under sugarcane crop. From each village 20 sugarcane growers were selected. In this way 120 sugarcane growers were selected for the present study. The aim of this study is to estimate the socio-economic characteristics and per hectare profitability of sugarcane production on different planting season in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra states in India. The socio-economic characteristics such as average family size, education status, cast composition, cropping pattern, components of sugarcane farm and the analysis of per hectare profitability of sugarcane crop indicated that cultivation of all type of sugarcane were profitable at all the levels of cost, as indicated by into benefit-cost ratio of Adsali, pre-seasonal, suru and ratoon is respectively. In adsali, pre-seasonal, suru and ratoon sugarcane group per hectare main produce was 130, 112, 90, 72 tonne and by produce was , , , tonne respectively. | Socio-economic characteristic and profitability of sugarcane cultivation in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India
