Cost of Cultivation, Marketing and Constraints of Potato Farming: Evidence from Gwalior District of Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

This study examined the production economics, marketing performance, and production constraints of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivation in the Bhitarwar and Morar blocks of Gwalior district, Madhya Pradesh, during 2025–26. A multistage sampling procedure was employed, wherein two blocks, ten villages, and 120 potato growers were selected using purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The cost of cultivation was estimated using the standard cost concepts (Cost A1 to C3) recommended by the Sen Committee, while marketing performance was evaluated through marketing cost, marketing margin, price spread, producer's share in the consumer's rupee, and marketing efficiency across four identified marketing channels; production and marketing constraints were assessed using Garrett's ranking technique. The overall cost of cultivation (Cost C3) was estimated at ₹148,036.51/ha, with an average yield of 278.34 q/ha, gross return of ₹248,649.47/ha, net return of ₹100,612.96/ha, and a benefit-cost ratio of 1.68, indicating that potato cultivation is economically viable in the study area. Among the marketing channels, direct producer-to-consumer marketing (Channel IV) recorded the highest marketing efficiency (5.00) and producer's share (83.33%), whereas channels involving multiple intermediaries exhibited a wider price spread and lower producer returns. Labour scarcity, adverse weather conditions, low harvest-time prices, and high input costs emerged as the most pressing constraints faced by growers. By integrating cost–return analysis, marketing efficiency assessment, and constraint prioritisation within a single empirical framework, the study offers an integrated micro-level evidence base to guide targeted interventions for improving potato farmers' income and market access in the Gird region of Madhya Pradesh.