Rate of Returns to Sugarbeet Breeding Research: Rasoul Cultivar

The first Iranian hybrid monogerm cultivar of sugarbeet was developed in 2000 after an 8-year period of R&D activity. The cultivar is not only a high yielding variety but enjoys a good resistance to bolting and Sercospora. The study sought to estimate the rate of return to the public investment made to develop this variety, using the economic surplus approach. The results revealed that the investment has got an internal rate of return of 117 percent and that it has produced an exchange saving of $28.7 million. This finding indicates that the investment has been highly productive and that the field suffers underinvestment.