Comparative profitability analysis of maize and tobacco production in manikganj district of Bangladesh

Abstract

A common myth about tobacco cultivation is that tobacco is more profitable than other crops. However, tobacco farming becomes unprofitable when the opportunity costs of unpaid family labor and the costs of their significantly severe illnesses and medical care are considered. High environmental impacts from tobacco farming result in a net loss to society. To analyze profitability by comparing maize with tobacco, and estimate the health costs of individuals in tobacco-cultivated areas. A cross-sectional and comparative study was undertaken among tobacco and maize farmers with family members in Manikganj districts. A total of 120 households were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique, and each household head was interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured questionnaire to gather information on households, family members and farming. The quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical approaches. In this study, 120 households consisted of a total of 501 household members. The average land use for cultivation was 81.91 decimals for maize growers and 96.60 decimals for tobacco growers. Considering all crops in a cultivation year, the undiscounted Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of maize growers was higher (1.72) than that of tobacco growers (1.02). In BCR for maize production was 1.22, while tobacco production was 1.09. Moreover, Food crops cultivation is more profitable than tobacco cultivation for individual and annual crop production. To achieve a tobacco-free country by 2040, tobacco
farmers should cultivate food crops that are profitable from a broader perspective instead of cultivating tobacco.
Keywords: Profitability, tobacco, maize, bcr, smoke-free