International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 44-58 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 46 1.3 Research design\Instruments 1.3.1 Preliminary field study Preliminary survey field visits were conducted to gather information regarding the geographical, institutional, and socio-economic characteristics of the study area. 1.3.2 Household survey A household survey was conducted with the help of a pre-tested and structured interview schedule. Both qualitative and quantitative in-depth information regarding the various aspects of apple cultivation was collected using the face-to-face interview technique. A total of 78 samples were taken for the household survey using the personal interview schedule (PIS). 1.3.3 Key informant survey (KIS) Key informants such as experienced leaders of the village who have lived in the village for years, the zoning officer, the rural municipality's technicians, and the zoning officer were asked a series of questions about the present scenario of apple cultivation and its economics of production. 1.3.4 Focus group discussion A focus group discussion was conducted among farmers, local leaders, the head of PIU, Kalikot, and all ethnic groups, including both male and female, to verify the results obtained from the household survey with the help of a checklist. They provided valuable information about challenges faced by farmers and discussions on the benefits of apple farming that helped to create awareness among farmers and helped develop strategies for solving problems. 1.4 Data and data types 1.4.1 Primary data The primary data for this research was collected from farmers who were engaged in apple farming for years. The primary method was used to collect information and take actual information on apples and figure out the problem faced by apple growers in a real scenario. Household surveys through interview schedules, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions were conducted to collect the primary data. 1.4.2 Secondary data The secondary data were obtained through different publications of the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project (MAMP), Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD), Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Statistical Information on Nepalese Agriculture, Annual Report of Program Implementation Unit, Jumla, relevant articles, etc. 2 Analysis Techniques The necessary data obtained from both the primary and secondary sources were coded and entered into the computer for analysis. The data analysis was done by using MS-Excel and SPSS. SPSS was used for both the qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Different analytical tools like descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as frequency distribution, trend analysis, etc are used. The following analysis was performed. 2.1 Descriptive analysis For descriptive analysis of the study area, the socioeconomic and farm characteristics of the respondents like age group, gender distribution, educational level, family size, total land holding, years of farming, etc. were described using statistics like frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, etc. 2.2 Analysis of economic data 2.2.1 Cost of production Cost of production was categorized into; cost of initial investment (cost incurred during the gestation period of 4 years) and operating cost (cost from 5th - 20th year; period of realization of output). Both the variable cost and
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