The study was conducted on the system of contract farming arrangement existing between gherkin farmers and exporters, the pattern of supply of inputs and technology to the farmers by firms and income and employment generation through farming in gherkin. The study shows that the agreement between the farmers and the company was oral and informal for 77.7 per cent of the farmers and for the rest 22.2 per cent it was written and formal agreement. About 51 per cent of farmers were introduced to the crop by the fellow farmers and 48.8 per cent of the farmers by company staff.
It was observed that all inputs needed for gherkin cultivation were supplied from company at right time. Company provided no credit facilities to farmers. Also company did not provide any mechanization services to the farmers under contract farming system. On an average from gherkin cultivation 1.26 pair days of bullock labour, 4.78 hr of tractor labour, 235.42 man days of men and 315.14 man days of women labour got employed per acre.
The average gross returns realized per acre by selling the gherkins in the study area was Rs. 78895.53 and Rs. 72191.25 in G-I and G-II system respectively. Thus average income after deducting cost was Rs. 11140.53 and Rs. 4436.25 in G-I and G-II system respectively.