Economics of Muga Culture

Cost and return structure for muga sericulture on a som plantation of one acre in Assam, at 2025-26 prices. All figures are in rupees per acre per year unless stated otherwise. Labour is costed at ₹ 385 per man-day (MD).

Establishing one acre of som plantation

#	Particulars	Unit	Qty	Rate (₹)	Value (₹)
A. Land development
1	Land development using tiller	Lump sum			1,500
2	Cattle proof trench	Running m	250	25	6,250
3	Pit digging (450 pits)	MD	12	385	4,620
	Sub-total				12,370
B. Seedling and transportation
1	Seedlings (including 10 % transportation loss)	No.	500	10	5,000
2	Transportation of seedlings	No.	500	2	1,000
	Sub-total				6,000
C. Cost of inputs
1	Urea	kg	40	12	480
2	SSP	kg	56	12	672
3	MOP	kg	15	24	360
4	FYM / vermicompost @ 0.5 cft per plant	cft	225	10	2,250
5	Application of inputs, basin formation and cultural operations (twice a year)	MD	24	385	9,240
6	Plant protection chemicals	Lump sum			750
	Sub-total				13,752
D. Inputs for intercrops (three-year gestation period)
1	Seed material for legumes, vegetables, castor and other shade-loving crops raised as intercrops during the gestation period	Lump sum			1,200
E. Maintenance of plantation
1	Maintenance for the 2nd and 3rd year (@ ₹ 6,100 per year)	Lump sum			12,200
	Total establishment cost				45,522
	Apportioned cost of establishment garden @ 5 %				2,276

The establishment cost is a one-time capital outlay recovered over the life of the plantation; only the apportioned share of 5 % enters the annual cost of cocoon production.

Leaf production cost

#	Particulars	Unit	Value (₹)
I. Fixed cost
1	Apportioned cost of establishment garden		2,276
II. Recurring cost
1	Plantation maintenance (4th year onwards)	Lump sum	11,500
	Total leaf production cost		10,593

Leaf production cost as carried in the COCP statement for 2025-26; this figure is used in the cost of cocoon production below.

Rearing appliances

#	Rearing appliance	No.	Rate (₹)	Value (₹)
1	Spinning shed	1	40,000	40,000
2	Chaloni (bamboo)	50	100	5,000
3	Rearing net (nylon)	3	4,000	12,000
4	Bamboo box-type mountage	10	1,500	15,000
5	Plastic basin / bucket	4	200	800
6	Bamboo basket	4	250	1,000
7	Torch light	2	300	600
8	Farm appliances (dao and spade, 2 each)	4	250	1,000
	Total cost of rearing appliances			75,400
	Depreciation on rearing appliances @ 10 %			7,540

Rearing cost, revenue and returns

#	Particulars	Unit	Qty	Rate (₹)	Value (₹)
I. Fixed cost
1	Depreciation on rearing appliances				7,540
	Total fixed cost				7,540
II. Recurring cost
a	Silkworm seed	dfls	800	20	16,000
b	Disinfectants	Lump sum			1,500
c	Labour for rearing	MD	160	385	61,600
d	Miscellaneous	Lump sum			1,000
	Total variable cost				80,100
	Total silkworm rearing cost				87,640
	Cost per 1,000 cocoons				1,826

#	Particulars	Unit	Qty	Rate (₹)	Value (₹)
1	Total cocoon production	No.	48,000
2	Sale of reeling cocoons (80 % of total)	No.	38,400	5	1,92,000
3	Sale of flimsy cocoons (20 % of total)	No.	9,600	0.70	6,720
	Total return				1,98,720
	Total cost of cocoon production (rearing 87,640 + leaf production 10,593)				98,233
	Net return				1,00,487
	Benefit–cost ratio				2.02

Technical norms for the unit: 500 som seedlings on one acre, 800 dfls brushed in the year, 48,000 cocoons harvested, of which 80 % are of reeling grade at ₹ 5 each and 20 % flimsy at ₹ 0.70 each. Wages and fertiliser prices vary over time with economic, political and environmental factors.