Economic valuation of mussel farming in a tropical estuary of northern Kerala, India

Geethu Gopinathan, V V and Vinod, K and Asokan, P K (2025) Economic valuation of mussel farming in a tropical estuary of northern Kerala, India. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India, 67 (2). pp. 43-47. ISSN 2321-7898

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Abstract

The green mussel (Perna viridis) is widely farmed in the estuaries of northern Kerala. The Palakkode estuary in the Kannur district of Kerala provides a suitable environment for culturing green mussel, providing livelihood for many coastal people. A study conducted from November to April 2024 recorded twenty-two active mussel farming units in the estuary. Economic analysis was performed on eleven farming units belonging to four groups, comprising four individuals each. Each farming unit had a 100 m 2 mussel rack with 400 seeded ropes. Females comprised 53% of the mussel farmers, with males making up the remaining 47%. The mean annual mussel production was 480 kg, sold at an average sale price of Rs.130/kg. The total annual fixed cost, total production cost, net operating income, net cash return, break-even price, and capital recovery factor are Rs. 5,620, Rs. 43,040, Rs. 24,980, Rs. 19,360, Rs. 90 and 1.8 respectively. While mussel farming provides employment opportunities, environmental changes such as increased temperature and salinity fluctuations due to unexpected rainfall have been affecting the farming operations. Besides, the inadequate availability of mussel seeds, the presence of the invasive mussel species, Mytella strigata, adversely affect mussel production. Despite these challenges, the study demonstrates the economic potential of mussel farming in the region.

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