TN focussing on increasing raw silk production

Tamil Nadu government was keen on increasing production of raw silk in the state through various mesures, state Rural Industries and Labour Welfare Minister P Mohan said today.
Presently, the state ranked fourth in raw silk production, with the cultivation of mulberry in 33,861 acres, with an yield of about 1,000 tonnes annually, he said here.
Government wanted to increase the mulberry cultivation to 3,000 tonnes a year, he said and suggested that the officials should take steps to expand the silk production to Sattur and Sivakasi areas also.
"Every panchayat should have mulberry cultivation. Now 327 new silk growers were involved in mulberry cultivation, which could be done by women, even at home," he said.

The state government had given an incentive subsidy of Rs 3.48 crore for silk growers.
In this current year, Rs 10.80 crore had been allocated for the Silk Project.
The Minister was speaking at a meeting organised by the Regional Sericultural Research Insitute (Salem) and Tamil Nadu Silk Development Department for distribution of welfare schemes to silk growers here to tune of Rs 3.82 crore.
He also inaugurated a silk technology development exhibition.