Benefit-Cost ratio of Sweet Sorghum

Net returns excluding family labour obtained from sweet sorghum was the highest among rain-fed competing crops in Ibrahimbad during 2008. Returns realized from sorghum + red gram intercrop was the next highest with Rs. 4,309 ha^-1followed by maize + red gram with Rs. 3,567ha^-1and Rs.3,466ha^-1for maize.However, during 2009 and 2010 net returns obtained were negative for sweet sorghum and its competing crops due to adverse climatic conditions during sowing and harvesting stages in Ibrahimbad.The net returns for competing crops was more negative for sorghum + pigeon pea intercrop at Rs. -5403ha^-1compared to sweet sorghum at Rs. -1833 ha^-1during 2010.

Table 1: Benefit-Cost ratio of sweet sorghum and competing crops, Ibrahimbad

Crop	Year
	2008	2009	2010
Sweet Sorghum	1.55	0.96	0.81
Maize- Pigeon pea	1.30	NA	0.97
Sorghum - Pigeon pea	1.37	0.97	0.59

The benefit-cost presented in Table 1 indicated sweet sorghum had better ability to withstand adverse climatic conditions since the loss incurred by sweet sorghum was only -0.19 compared to sorghum-pigeon pea intercrop at -0.41 while maize was marginally better by -0.03.