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Economics of Sericulture in Assam

Author

Listed:
  • Utpal Kumar De

    (Utpal Kumar De is at Department of Economics, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, 793022, Meghalaya. Email: de_u@yahoo.com)

  • Manjit Das

    (Manjit Das is at Department of Economics, M.C. College, Barpeta, 781301, Assam.)

Abstract

The age-old agro-based sericulture activities have been playing an important role in the generation of employment and income in a slowly progressing economy of Assam. Though all the four major varieties of silk, namely, eri, muga, mulberry and tasar are grown in Assam, the first two occupy the prime positions in the sericulture scenario of the state. Mulberry is also one of the traditional activities, but it has lost much of its competitiveness in recent times and tasar is a recent introduction and still at an infant stage. There has been a significant change in the relative position of each sericulture activity in terms of generation of employment and income and popularity among the people. The present article tries to make a comparative assessment of different silk cultures in Assam, namely, eri, muga and mulberry as a source of employment and income. It is observed that ericulture over the years has become more popular among the people, as it is still cheap and it yields more revenue to the family farms than the other sericulture activities. Though muga is very popular to a certain section of population and yield more net profit per unit of investment, its undertaking requires more capital and also it involves more risk compared to the other ventures.

Suggested Citation

  • Utpal Kumar De & Manjit Das, 2010. "Economics of Sericulture in Assam," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 11(2), pages 309-336, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:soueco:v:11:y:2010:i:2:p:309-336
    DOI: 10.1177/139156141001100207
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Utpal Kumar De, 2006. "Population, Poverty and the Problem of Natural Resource Management," Papers of the Annual IUE-SUNY Cortland Conference in Economics, in: Oguz Esen & Ayla Ogus (ed.), Proceedings of the Conference on Human and Economic Resources, pages 88-103, Izmir University of Economics.
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      More about this item

      Keywords

      Sericulture; informal sector; capital intensity; Assam; JEL: Q10; JEL: Q12; JEL: Q19; JEL: R11;
      All these keywords.

      JEL classification:

      • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General
      • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
      • Q19 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Other
      • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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