This study includes costs and returns of 28 BARI mandated crops. Costs-returns of different crops were compiled from the annual reports of Agricultural Economics Division of the years from 2006-07 to 2010-11 surveyed in different years and locations in Bangladesh. The costs and returns data of the crops studied before 2010 were inflated to 2010 prices using general consumer price index (national). CPI is the measure of the average change in price over time paid for set of consumer goods and services. The percent change in the CPI provides a measure of inflation. Though using CPI for crops will not give accurate price of the year, yet it will give an approximate real price of the year. Like discounting factor used in the ex-ante analysis, CPI is used in the ex-pert analysis to consider time value of money. It was observed in the reports that sample size of each crop was not less than 30 farmers in each location. However, in the case of okra, data were collected from the primary source by face to face interview from the farmers of Jessore, the intensive growing area and Barisal, the moderate growing area. A total of 60 farmers, 30 from each location, were selected randomly and interviewed using pre-designed survey schedule.
BCR was found above two for tuberose, brinjal, pointed gourd, cauliflower, tomato, sweet potato, ginger, turmeric, soybean, chilli and pineapple in which tuberose, sweet potato and tomato gave BCR above three. However, it was less than 1.5 in the case of bitter gourd, okra, panikachu, mustard, mungbean and groundnut. Per hectare net return of taka more than four lakh was found in tuberose and turmeric, more than three lakh in brinjal and pointed gourd, more than two lakh in tomato, ginger and pineapple, more than one lakh in marigold, panikachu and potato, and more than half lakh in bitter gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, water melon, sweet potato, onion, garlic and chilli. It was less than fifty thousand and above ten thousand in the case of okra, maize, soybean and mustard and less than five thousand in mungbean and groundnut. Brinjal, pointed gourd, okra and panikachu incurred total cost on full cost TC basis of taka more two and half lakh, tuberose more than two lakh, potato and ginger more than one and half lakh, tomato, ginger, onion and pineapple more than one lakh, cabbage, cauliflower, watermelon, maize, garlic and chilli more than half lakh. It was less than half lakh in the case of sweet potato, mustard, mungbean and groundnut. It was also evident that the more the cost the more the profit in the case of almost all crops except okra and bitter gourd incurring higher cost with low profit. The crops incurring low cost (less than taka seventy thousand) and comparatively giving higher profit (BCR more than two and net return more than taka eighty thousand) are sweet potato and cauliflower. Mustard, mungbean and groundnut incurred low cost and low profit. It can be inferred from the results that BCR, irrespective of crops, has been decreasing successively every year.