K'taka gears up to retain top slot in silk

In the face of rising competition from other southern states in silk production, the government of Karnataka is taking several initiatives to ensure that the 'silk capital' of India does not lose its sheen.

Of the proposed measures to boost silk output in the state, the most significant one is the move to import three automatic reeling machines from China. Each of the imported reeling machine would cost Rs 1 crore. While the Central Silk Board would bear 50 per cent of the cost, the state government would bear 25 per cent. The remaining Rs 25 lakh will have to be paid by the private silk reelers interested in setting up such units.

Speaking to Business Standard, H Bhaskar, commissioner of sericulture development and director of sericulture, government of Karnataka, said three private players have already shown interest in the project, which is expected to be in place by March 2009. It takes about Rs 2.5 crore for setting up of each unit including the cost of the machine and other required infrastructure.

It is estimated that setting up of three automatic reeling units would increase the output of superior quality bivoltine silk by 25 per cent. At present, Karnataka produces about 400 tonnes of bivoltine silk per year, about one-third of the bivoltine silk production in the country. Each of the automatic reeling machine is capable of processing 700 kg of cocoons per day and producing 34 metric tonnes of bivoltine silk per year.

Bivoltine silk is more smooth and uniform in quality. While Indian silk production is by far composed of multivoltine variety, the Chinese silk, posing a major threat to the Indian silk, is bivoltine. Apart from producing finer quality silk, the imported reeling units would also strengthen the backward linkages wherein farmers get better market for their cocoons, said M M Kazi, additional director of sericulture.

The decision to import three automatic reeling units from China assumes even more significance given the fact that while there are no such units in Karnataka as of now, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh already has set up one such unit. Another competitor Tamil Nadu has also finalised deals to import one unit, he added.

Karnataka produced 8,240 tonnes of silk for the year 2007-08, a growth of 4.5 per cent compared with the previous year. Currently, the state accounts for 50 per cent of the country's total output, which is around 16,525 tonnes.

A decade ago Karnataka accounted for 60 per cent of the country's total silk production. Thus, even though silk production in Karnataka is rising in terms of numbers, its share in the country's total output is showing downward trend, while the share of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu is going up.