ECONOMICS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF RICE CUM FRESHWATER PRAWN (MACROBRACHIUM ROSENBERGII) IN THE GHER FARMING SYSTEM

The research focus on the gher farming systems in southwest part of Bangladesh and which system is more beneficial in economically through yielding rice or prawn or in combination - it is only rice or only gher or the combination of both. The experiment was done with freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergi) and rice in order to analysis whether rice farming has any effect on the growth of prawn or conversely whether prawn farming has any influence on rice production. The study was carried out for a period of 112 days with two replications for each treatment. The result suggested that the yield of prawn could be increased by 18% if prawns are cultivated along with rice and would not hamper rice production significantly (p>0.05). The study was also indicated that approximately 19 % higher benefit- cost ratio could be obtained by employing this method. The total economic productivity analysis of benefit cost ratio was higher obtained from 2.87 compared to 2.42.