Standard crop parameters and prevailing rates for ericulture. Note that pupae, not cocoons, dominate the revenue in the standard model — 70 kg of pupae per 100 dfls against 7.5–12 kg of shell.
Crop parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Fecundity | 300 – 350 eggs (600 – 700 per gram) |
| Weight of 1 DFL | 0.63 g |
| Hatching | > 85 % |
| Effective rate of rearing | > 75 % |
| Cocoon shell percentage | 11.5 – 16 % |
| Crops per year | 4 – 5; autumn (Oct–Nov) and spring (Mar–Apr) preferred commercially |
| Green cocoons per 100 DFLs | 65.00 – 75.00 kg |
| Shell / cut cocoons per 100 DFLs | 7.50 – 12.00 kg |
| Pupae per 100 DFLs | 57.50 – 63.00 kg |
| Single cocoon / shell / pupa weight | 2.80–3.50 g / 0.35–0.55 g / 2.60–3.00 g |
| Green cocoons per kg | 285 – 357 |
| Shells per kg | 1,818 – 2,857 |
| Cut cocoon per acre | 30 – 48 kg on castor |
| Raw silk per acre | 22.5 – 36 kg at 75 % recovery |
| Leaf consumed per dfl | 11 – 12 kg castor; 10 kg kesseru |
| Rearing capacity | 400 dfls / acre castor; 600 dfls / acre kesseru |
Prevailing rates
| Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| Green cocoon | ₹ 450 – 550 / kg |
| Cut cocoon / shell | ₹ 700 – 1,000 / kg (Local Advisory Committee rate, Assam); ₹ 800 – 1,350 / kg for superior quality at national market rates, 2025-26 |
| Pupa | ₹ 350 – 450 / kg |
| Hand-spun yarn, finer than 30 Nm | ₹ 3,000 / kg |
| Hand-spun yarn, coarser than 30 Nm | ₹ 2,000 / kg |
| Eri spun yarn, national market range 2025-26 | ₹ 3,000 – 4,800 / kg |
| Chawki worms | ₹ 1,365 per 100 DFLs (cost of production at a CRC) |
For the full cost and return statement built on these parameters, see
Economics of Ericulture
under Post-Cocoon Technology.