एरी संवर्धन का अर्थशास्त्र

Cost and return structure for castor-based ericulture on one acre in Assam, at 2025-26 prices, covering four crops in the year from 400 dfls. Labour is costed at ₹ 385 per man-day (MD).

Plantation establishment cost

#	विवरण	इकाई	मात्रा	दर (₹)	मूल्य (₹)
A. Land development
1	Land development using power tiller	एकमुश्त			1,500
2	Green fencing	एकमुश्त			2,000
3	Pit digging (4,000 pits)	MD	8	385	3,080
4	Castor seeds	kg	2	200	400
	उप-योग				6,980
B. Cost of inputs
1	Urea	kg	54	12	648
2	SSP	kg	101	12	1,212
3	MOP	kg	13	24	312
4	FYM / vermicompost @ 0.1 cft per plant	cft	400	10	4,000
5	Application of inputs, basin formation and cultural operations (three times a year)	MD	62	385	23,870
6	Plant protection chemicals	एकमुश्त			1,200
	उप-योग				31,242
	Total establishment cost of plantation				38,222

Rearing costs

#	विवरण	इकाई	मात्रा	दर (₹)	मूल्य (₹)
A. Fixed cost
1	Rearing house (thatched)	No.	1	50,000	50,000
2	Platform with stand	No.	4	1,800	7,200
3	Mountage (plastic)	No.	100	80	8,000
4	Sprayer	No.	1	2,000	2,000
	Total fixed cost				67,200
	Depreciation on building and equipment @ 10 %				6,720
B. Variable cost
1	Silkworm seed (for four crops)	dfls	400	9	3,600
2	Disinfectants	एकमुश्त			1,200
3	Labour — cleaning and disinfection of rearing house	MD	4	385	1,540
4	Labour — rearing operations	MD	112	385	43,120
5	Labour — removal of pupae	MD	32	385	12,320
	Total variable cost				61,780
	Total cost of silkworm rearing (depreciation 6,720 + variable 61,780)				68,500

Revenue and returns

#	विवरण	इकाई	मात्रा	दर (₹)	मूल्य (₹)
1	Sale of cocoons @ 10 kg per 100 dfls	kg	40	900	36,000
2	Sale of pupae @ 70 kg per 100 dfls	kg	280	600	1,68,000
	Total return				2,04,000
	Total cost (plantation 38,222 + rearing 68,500)				1,06,722
	Net return				97,278
	Benefit–cost ratio				1.91

Read this before quoting the ratio. Pupae account for about 82 % of gross revenue in this model, so the return depends heavily on an assured outlet for pupae at ₹ 600 per kg. Where pupae cannot be sold, the unit realises only the cocoon revenue and the benefit–cost ratio falls below unity. Wages and fertiliser prices vary over time with economic, political and environmental factors.