Comparative Investment Analysis of Greenhouses with Different Types and Technological Levels

Abstract

Greenhouses are agricultural systems that make a significant contribution to food supply in terms of obtaining more than one product in the production season and reducing yield losses by carrying out the production process under control. In order to obtain higher yield from unit area in greenhouses, They should be planned according to purpose in term of their characteristics and structures. The most important criterion in the planning of greenhouses in agricultural enterprises is the investment cost. In this direction, within the scope of the study, investment analyzes of greenhouses, efficiency of produced crops and profitability of enterprises were compared according to their types and technological features. In this study, a survey was conducted in 99 plastic, 86 glass and 5 soilless greenhouse enterprises producing vegetables in Mersin province. In the data obtained through survey; net profit was determined as 9,814.15 TL/da in plastic greenhouse enterprises producing tomatoes, 109,532.91 TL/da in soilless greenhouse enterprises producing tomatoes, 5,522.14 TL/da in plastic greenhouse enterprises producing pepper, and 10,460.53 TL/da in glass greenhouse enterprises producing cucumber. According to the greenhouse types, it was determined that the payback period of the investment was shorter in soilless greenhouse enterprises with 3.93 years and followed by tomato cultivation in plastic greenhouse with 6.68 years. Therefore, the net present value is positive in plastic and soilless greenhouses where tomato cultivation is carried out, indicating that these investments are profitable. Similarly, the benefit-cost ratio was calculated as 2.05 in soilless tomato greenhouses and 1.13 in plastic tomato greenhouses. Therefore, in these two greenhouse types and products, profitability is high since the income of the project is higher than the investment. Additionally, the factors affecting producers’ greenhouse preferences were determined in the study.