ECONOMICS OF SILK PRODUCTION AS AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF INCOME IN THE RURAL AREAS OF BOGRA DISTRICT

The study was conducted to elucidate the profitability of silk production. Six adjacent villages of Dhunatupazila of Bogra District were selected purposively for this study. A total of 60 sample farmers were selected randomly of which 35 were small, 19 were medium and another 6 were large farmers. Both tabular and statistical techniques were used in the study. A large number of labourers were employed in the sericulture activities. Cocoon production per 100 Disease free laying (DFL) employed about 11 man-days for producing cocoon and 100 percent of the labourers were female. Gross return of small, medium and large group of farmers were calculated at Tk. 3712, 4537.5 and 5467, respectively per 100 DFL. Total costs of cocoon production for the same three categories of farmers were estimated Tk. 1831, 1972 and 2318, respectively per 100 DFL and their corresponding gross margins were Tk. 2781, 3555.5 and 4229, respectively per 100 DFL. Net returns of cocoon production were calculated at Tk. 1881, 2565.5 and 3145 for small, medium and large farmers, respectively per 100 DFL and the corresponding undiscounted Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) came out to be 2.03, 2.30, and 2.35, respectively. Net return of all farmers was Tk. 2530.16 per 100 DFL and BCR was 2.31 which showed that cocoon production is profitable in the study areas.