[01] Mohammad Masudul Hassan, Faculty of Agribusiness Management, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. [02] Mosammod Mahamuda Parvin, Department of Management & Finance, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. [03] Samira Islam Resmi, Faculty of Agribusiness Management, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is mainly an agricultural country. Agriculture is the major stay of the economy of Bangladesh. Agriculture is the crucial way of life of Bangladesh. Agriculture bears an anticipative contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country prior to a greater extent than 50% of GDP. At present greater portion of Bangladesh’s GDP comes from the service sector. Notwithstanding this, two-thirds of the country’s population is engrossed in agricultural practices. A variety of crops are cultivated in this country which categorized into two-food crops and cash crops. Tobacco is being dealt as leading cash crop in the world in addition to Bangladesh. This study was carried on to bringing close together the cost of production and profitability of Tobacco producers at Rangpur district. Data was gathered from 65 farmers using simple random sampling method. The Tobacco farmers demonstrated individual differences of opinion in their socio-economic characteristics and unconditional majority of them belonged to young age category (20-35 years) having medium family size, illiterate, medium farm size ( 0.34- 1.0 acre) , ( 1- 10 years) farming experience. The largest part of the Farmers used Virginia variety of Tobacco and sells their amount produced at home. Farmers who put up for sale Tobacco in the market were further profitable than others. The study furthermore denominates that the large farmers were almost profitable likened to others. Main difficulty confronted by the Tobacco farmers were lower price of Tobacco during harvesting period, price fluctuation , shortage of capital, lack of good quality seed, poor storage facility, higher price of inputs and lack of marketing facility etc. Appropriate measures should be necessitated by Government to figure out this problem. The findings of the study will add fundamental economic data on the production practices of Tobacco. Ultimately it will be supportive to the planners and policy makers in formulating micro or macro level policy for the improvement of Tobacco production in the country.

Benefit Cost Ratio, Cash Crop, Production Function; Virginia; Marketing Cost

[01] Barkat A, Chowdhury AU, Nargis N, Rahman M, Kumar PkA, Bashir S, Chaloupka FJ., “The Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Taxation in Bangladesh,” Paris: International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 2012. [02] Chowdhury, M. A. M., “A Socioeconomic Analysis of Tobacco Cultivation in Bangladesh: A Case Study of Meherpur, Rangpur and Rangunia,” Journal of Business Studies, Vol. 1, 2001, pp. 48-65. [03] Hossain, M. M. (1998): A Study on Tobacco Marketing in Bangladesh. Unpublished M.S. Thesis, Department of Cooperation and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University. Mymensingh. [04] Hossain M. Agriculture in Bangladesh. Dhaka: University Press Limited, 1991. 464p. [05] Mahmud, S. (1999): A social Economic Study on Tobacco Production in Some Selected Ares of Rangpur District. An Unpublished M.S Thesis Faculty of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. [06] Tobacco Cultivation and its Impact on Food Production in Bangladesh, Farida Akhter, UBINIG, 2008 (Bangladesh). Retrieved From http://www.fairtradetobacco.org/?page_id=199 [07] Yearbook of Agricultural Statistics of Bangladesh, 2009, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Planning, GOB, August 2010 [08] Zohir, S., “Impact of Reforms in Agricultural Input Markets on Crop Sector Profitability in Bangladesh, mimeo” Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Dhaka,2001.