Assessing the Impact of Farm Size on Cocoon Production Efficiency and Profitability in Non-Traditional Districts of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The current study aimed to determine the costs and returns associated with producing cocoons for different farmer groups in Tamil Nadu’s nontraditional districts, including Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Dindigul and Theni in the Western Zone. The study’s sample size consisted of 45 farmers who owned marginal, small and medium-sized plots of land. These farmers were chosen at random for the study. According to the findings, Received: 19 Jul 2024 Revised: 27 Jul 2024 Accepted: 16 Aug 2024 marginal farmers had to spend Rs. 2, 21,531.20/- for the production of cocoons, whereas they would receive Rs. 7, 27,460.80/- in return for the cocoon waste and raw cocoons. On the other hand, it was discovered that small farmers had to spend Rs. 3, 41,794.89/- for the production of cocoons, while they received returns of Rs. 14, 16,072.40/- from the cocoon and waste. Comparably, the cost of producing cocoons for mediumsized farms was determined to be Rs. 4, 93,193.60/-, while the returns from the cocoon and waste came to Rs. 21, 19,064.96/-. As a result, it can be concluded that medium farmers have a greater benefit-cost ratio— roughly 1:4.3. Therefore, medium farmers faced the highest costs and returns from cocoon production, followed by small and marginal farmers. India ranks second globally in terms of silk production.

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