ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY PRACTICES OF SUGAR BEET PRODUCTION

Sharkia Governorate characterized by environmental and agricultural characters suitable for the production of sugar beet crop that making it one of the most important production areas in Egypt. Despite the importance of sugar beet crop as an economic crop for production of sugar, it has not taken enough attention to address the technology gap prevailing between researchers and producers in the employment of agricultural productivity resources to achieve the economic efficiency and that reduces faddan productivity and its return. This requires evaluating package of current agricultural practices affecting the productivity of the crop. So, the study used some economic criteria and statistical methods that achieve the objectives of the study and enhance the results such as correlation and regression procedures, change partitioning method and crop budget. The study was based on a field random sample of thirty farms in the province of Awlad Saker .. The study showed that the most important quantitative variables affecting the average production per faddan of sugar beet are the amount of nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer amount, seed amount, the amount of irrigation water where the combination of these factors contribute about 84% of the total quantitative factors affecting crop production. Also, the most important qualitative productive variables affecting the average productivity of the crop are number of hoeing times, the distance between hills
and planning rate where these factors contribute about 64% of the total qualitative factors affecting the productivity of that crop. Then the most important quantitative and qualitative factors affecting average production per faddan of sugar beet are the amount of nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer amount, amount of irrigation water, the distance between hills, number of thinning times, where these factors contribute by 83% of the total factors affecting the sugar beet crop production. The study shows lack of commitment by producers of sugar beet recommendations of the Ministry of Agriculture with respect to quantitative and qualitative technology practices where the amount of the technological gap between the recommendations of researchers and practices of farmers for the row width about 4.32 tons/ faddan,  number of times of thining 6.8 tons/ faddan,  number of times of hoeing 6.63 tons/ faddan, number of times irrigation 3.26 tons/ faddan, the distance between hills 5.5 tons/ faddan, planning rate of 1.5 tons/ faddan for farmer experience, 2.5 tons/ faddan, number of times of replanting 0.57 tons/ faddan. The total monetary value of these gaps is around 1501.65 pounds, 2414 pounds2353.65 pounds, 1157.3 pounds, 1952.5 pounds, 532.5 pounds, 887.5 pounds, 202.35 pounds, respectively. Therefore, the study recommends using the technological recommendations package of agricultural practices according to the research recommendations, with a focus on the most important factors affecting the productivity of the sugar beet crop, to reduce the gap between research recommendations and farmers' practices.