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ReturnIndia:Silk board pens plan to boost output
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PublishDate：
2005-10-28 09:54:00
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In a bid to increase natural silk production to 20,000 metric tonne (mt) by 2007 the Central Silk Board (CSB) is trying to propagate bivoltine silk - cocoons built by a silkworm race with two generations (life cycles) in a year - and slowly change from traditional multivoltine silk, which is low in quality compared with bivoltine.
Natural silk production in April 2004- March 05 was almost 16,000 mt. India is producing 10 per cent bivoltine silk now.
"The Indian silk production is way behind the requisite demand in the domestic market, which is about 23,000 mt every year. As the largest silk consumer, the country mostly imports about 7,000-8,000 mt from China. They are producing 60,000 mt of silk every year and consistently increasing the output," said T D Koshy, deputy director, CSB.
The agro-based silk industry, besides being an employment generating sector, is also a good foreign exchange earner.
The country has exported silk goods worth Rs 2,747.68 crore in 2004-05, compared with Rs 2,779.19 crore last year.
In April-May 2005 total accrual from exports was Rs 398.89 crore, 8.7 per cent more compared with the same period last year.
The Indian exporters, by tapping the growing demand of silk in Europe, US and Middle East, are planning to increase their share in the international market.
China with its fully export oriented industry, virtually controls the silk world. It rules the silk market both in raw silk and finished fabric facilitated by added strength of 70 per cent superior quality bivoltine silk. India exports silk mostly to US, Europe and Middle East in form of fabrics, sarees, garments carpets.
The five traditional silk producing states in India are Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh, West Bengal and Jammu and kashmir.
The spread of sericulture industry is visible in other non-traditional areas too. India has considerable wealth of non-mulberry silk (wild silk) spread over to the hilly tracks of Bihar, Orissa, Madya Pradesh, Andra Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra.
