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A three-year drought in Tamil Nadu is threatening the livelihood of over 23,000 families dependent on sericulture. Production, so far this fiscal, is close to just half of last year’s 1,184 tonnes, which was 300 tonnes lower than the output in 2011-12.
The dry spell, coupled with rapid urbanisation, is lowering Tamil Nadu’s share in national silk production, which stood at 18,715 tonnes during 2012-13, said D. Kirubakaran, Deputy Secretary & Nodal Officer, Central Silk Board, a Ministry of Textiles organisation engaged in promoting silk products.
“Drought in key producing areas such as Gobichettipalayam, Udumalapet, Krishnagiri, and Palani has severely impacted production over the last few years,” he said, adding that recent rains brighten prospects for the sector. He was speaking at a curtain raiser for Silk Mark Organisation of India’s forthcoming exposition where 50 designers are expected to participate.
Karnataka, another major producer, is facing a similar problem in Hosur, where large tracts of agricultural land are being taken up for the industry. Karnataka produced 8,219 tonnes of silk in 2012-13, way above Andhra Pradesh, which managed 6, 549 tonnes during the year.
T. Ganapathiraman, Assistant Director, Silk Mark Organisation of India, said domestic production falls short of demand in the country, forcing silk processing units to import raw silk from China to meet production requirements. The country imports, on an average, 8,000-10,000 tonnes of raw silk from China every year to meet a demand of 28,000 tonnes.
However, the Centre has drawn up ambitious plans to raise production targets and make Indian exports competitive. By the end of 12th Five-Year Plan period, Tamil Nadu plans to double production by raising silk acreage to 25,000 hectares. The plan also includes training to improve designs, provide subsidy for buying equipment and sharing intelligence data on exports. India’s exports stood at Rs 1,730 crore last fiscal.
The Silk Mark Expo will be conducted in Chennai’s Valluvarkottam between December 25 and December 31, where products from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Banaras, and West Bengal will be exhibited, apart from Tamil Nadu hubs such as Kanchipuram.
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