International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 186-194 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 187 maize and wheat in Nepal and now second staple food crop of Nepal in terms of production (Baral et al., 2021). Growing demand of potato in the form of chips, fries and other processed products have increase the potato production which has helped in increasing the living standard of small farmers (Subedi et al., 2019). Nepal’s rank in potato production of world is 22nd (FAOSTAT, 2021). Even in the unfavorable climate and less cultivable land, potato provides a greater return to the farmers. However, different problems in marketing and production have affected the overall production in Nepal especially high hills (Timsina et al., 2011). The total area dedicated to potato farming in Rasuwa is 2,606 ha with the production of 42,315 mt and productivity is 16.24 mt/ha. The production and productivity of potato is in increasing trend with depletion seen over some years (MoALD, 2022). Farmers are unable to make a sizable profit from their produce because they lack information about the price structure. Due to the dominance of traders and middleman in the marketing channel, farmers cannot receive the profit they need to receive. Inefficient marketing system, problems in transportation has led to difficulty in marketing. Lack of improved quality seed, problem in irrigation, incidence of disease and pests, costly farm implements, availability of labor are some of the problems faced by the farmers during potato production (Subedi et al., 2019). This study aims to comprehensively analyze the economic benefits and market dynamics of potato cultivation in Rasuwa district of Nepal. This includes evaluating the cost structure and returns of potato production, identifying key factors of potato productivity and profitability, investigating the main marketing channels and their efficiency, and determining the major challenges and constraints faced by farmers in production and marketing processes. Through these analyses, the study hopes to provide practical recommendations for policymakers, agricultural support institutions, and farmers to improve the economic viability and sustainability of potato cultivation, thereby enhancing farmer’s livelihoods. 1 Materials and Methods 1.1 Site selection The research was conducted in Rasuwa district of Nepal. Its area is 1,544 km2. Its territory ranges from 614 to 7,227 m above mean sea level. Rasuwa had 5 rural municipalities, including Uttargaya, Kalika, Aamachhodingmo, Naukunda, Gosaikunda. The specific municipality in which the study was carried out was Uttargaya rural municipality. The site was chosen due to its ideal climatic conditions, availability of more farmers, more commercial farmers and inclusion in the PMAMP potato zone. 1.2 Sampling, data collection and analysis Sampling frame of 104 was purposively selected considering registered potato farmers of Uttargaya rural municipality under PMAMP. Sample size of 60 was calculated from sample frame of 104 using Rao-soft software. Households were selected using simple random sampling technique. In order to analyze the market or to identify the marketing channel, marketing margin and marketing system, traders and consumers was interviewed with a sample population of 10 respondents. Household survey was performed to collect data. Both the qualitative and quantitative data obtained from the survey was analyzed by using IBM SPSS statistics 25 and Micro-soft Excel. 1.2.1 Cost of production For the purpose of analyzing the cost of production, only the variable cost components for potato production were considered. Seeds, organic manure, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, labor, irrigation, transportation, harvesting cost and tractor power were among the variable cost elements. The total cost of production was determined by adding up all variable input costs.
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