Gherkin crop is exclusively produced for exports purpose, as major output is exported to various countries. Gherkin cultivation is profitable to farmers, as rich employment opportunities are generated throughout the cropping period. It benefits the nation through foreign exchange contribution by promoting investments in processing and exporting units. AEZ facilitates the development of agricultural produce in a contiguous area for export. This paper emphasises on the resource use efficiency and the participation of women in production of gherkin under the system of contract farming. The results revealed that the variables included in the function satisfactorily explained the variation in dependent variable (93.00 %).The output elasticities of human labour was positive and significant at one percent. The other inputs such as bullock and tractor labour, PPC and staking materials was positive, which indicates that they have a positive impact on gherkin production. The variables such as FYM and fertilizers and seeds had negative bi value indicating that these resources when added more would decrease the gross returns. The sum of elasticities (?bi= 0.988) showed that production is in the decreasing returns to scale. Thus one per cent increase in all the factors of production simultaneously would increase the gross returns by 0.98 per cent. On an average from gherkin cultivation 176.52 man days of women labour were employed per 0.56 acre. In gherkin cultivation under contract farming on sample farms 176.52 man days of women labour (57.24 per cent) was employed which is more than men labour use of 131.84 man days (42.75 per cent of total labour employed per 0.56 acre. Women participate in decision making like taking up of crop, decision regarding farm operations etc. Thus women play an important role in gherkin cultivation.