A study the profitability of sugar beet crop production and inorder to understand the obstacles and problems encountered in the expansion of the acreage of this crop, costs and benefits of sugar beet farming were investigated in Hamedan province. In the present study, in addition to collecting relevant information from the specialists and informed sources, data on costs and benefits was obtained from sugar beet farmers in a specilly designed questioner.
The area under study was divided into four categories on the basis of acreage. Mechanized and non-mechanized farms were studied separately. Mean comparisons of cost, yield, and profit showed significant differences at0.005% level except in two cases. The analysis of data showed that 80 percent of the production costs was spent on irrigation, Cultivation, thinning, and transportation.
Irrigation costs were 46.77 percent and 39.04 percent of the total costs in mechanized and non-mechanized farming, respectively. Transportation cost was 18-19 percent. of the total costs in both production methods. Thinning and cultivation made up 11.21 and 78 percent of the total costs in mechanized and non-mechanized farming, respectively.
There was a positive relationship between the amount of labor required and the cost in all farming operation, Labor required farminq 1 hectar of sugar beets with mechanized and non-mechanized methods was 418.7 and 702.4 hours respectively, As a result of saving 283.7 hours of labor per unit area, mechanized farming cost less than non—mechanized farming. The study showed that due to the prevalence of traditional crop maintenance practices in sugar beet production, increasing the acreage causes an increase production socts and a reduction in productivity.
In mechanized farming, the average yield and production cost per hectar in 1—hectar and 5—15 hectar farm were 30.50 tons 437660 Rials and 25.01 tons 505730 Rials, respectively, while in non-mechanized farming,. the average yield and production cast per hectar in 1—hectar and 5-15 hectar farms were 28.40 tons—48830 Rials and 2303 tons 560570 Rials, respectively. Among the seven regions, Assadabad with 36.6 tons had the highest yield per hectar. In this region, the farms who used mechanized farming method and the lowest production cost of 387200 Rials per hectar.
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