Abstract

The aim of this research is to determine the energy input and output involved in cotton production in the Hatay province of Turkey. The average energy consumption of the farms investigated in this study is 19 558 MJha^-1. Of the total energy, 2.87% is direct and 71.13% is indirect. Renewable energy accounts for 12.30% and energy usage efficiency is found to be 2.36. The total energy input into the production of one kilogram of average Turkish cotton is estimated to be 4.99 MJ. The dominant contribution to input is energy in the form of nitrogen fertiliser (40.28%), followed by water for irrigation (22.37%) and diesel-oil (17.04%). The cost of cotton production per hectare is found to be 2 246 $ha-¹ in the region, with 79.87% of this being variable costs. It can be concluded that intensive cotton farms are being operated in the area since the variable cost ratio is quite high. As a result of benefit-cost ratio (1.24) analysis, cotton production is found to be economically efficient.

Key words: Cotton, input-output analysis, energy analysis, production economics, Turkey.