Central Silk Board gets 21% higher allocation under 12th Plan

The board would also get funds from the state governments and other agencies for some joint programmes

The Ministry of Textiles has allocated Rs 1,269 crore to Bangalore-headquartered Central Silk Board (CSB) for its development activities during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. This is an increase of 21 per cent over the 11th Plan period allocation of Rs 1,050 crore.

The CSB would get Rs 889 crore under the Catalytic Development Programme (CDP), a centrally-sponsored scheme implemented in association with the state sericulture department and other agencies.

It has been allocated Rs 375 crore for research and development activities, while the balance Rs 5 crore would be spent on generic promotion of Indian silk, K K Shetty, joint secretary, technical, CSB, said.

In addition to the central allocation, the CSB would also get funds from the state governments and other agencies for some joint programmes.

The CSB plans to focus on providing improved technology to farmers and incentivise them to adopt new technologies to increase silk production during the next four years. The Government of India has set a target of achieving a 39 per cent growth in silk production during the 12th Plan period. "At present, India produces 23,000 tonnes of silk annually and our aim is to increase it to 32,000 tonnes per annum by 2016-17," he said.

The annual silk production grew 24.5 per cent during the 11th Five-Year Plan period to touch 23,000 tonnes per annum from 18,475 tonnes during the 10th Plan period.

The country produces 23,000 tonnes of silk as against the annual demand of 29,000 tonnes, thus leaving a shortage of 6,000 tonnes of silk annually that is met through imports.

India imports 6,000 tonnes of silk from China costing Rs 2,000 crore annually. "During the 12th Plan period, the target is to achieve self sustenance in silk production. So, we are aiming to add another 9,000 tonnes from the terminal year of 12th Plan period," Shetty said.

He said the entire quantity of silk imported from China was bivoltine variety and the thrust would be on increasing the production of bivoltine and traditional silk varieties during the next four years. The additional 9,000 tonnes would be bivoltine variety, he said. India currently produces about 2,000 tonnes of bivoltine silk annually.

The CSB is also making efforts to increase the production of vanya silk (eri, muga and tasar silk), which are naturally grown.

Presently, India produces about 4,500 tonnes of vanya silk and it plans to double production during the 12th Plan period, he said.

"Actually, we require about Rs 2,500 crore during the present plan period to implement the various schemes. The ministry has allocated only Rs 1,269 crore. The balance Rs 1,231 crore will be arranged through various other schemes like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and MGNREGA, and Border Area Development Programme through some joint programmes for the promotion of silk," he said.

The CSB is also undertaking several programmes to increase the market for Made in India silk.