Tamil Nadu front-runner in sericulture activities in country, says CM
Mr. Palaniswami said Tamil Nadu was one of the front-running States in sericulture activities in the country.
SALEM: Tamil Nadu is one of the front-running states in sericulture activities in the country and the state occupies a unique position as world’s best producer of silk, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has said.
The Chief Minister who inaugurated an exhibition on silk and participated in a conference of sericulture farmers and entrepreneurs organised by the Sericulture Department here informed that the State Government would set up ‘Seri Tourism’ centre on the hill resort of Yercaud for providing all information about sericulture activities in TN. The project, Mr. Palaniswami said, is coming up at an outlay of Rs 2.50 crore.
Mr. Palaniswami said Tamil Nadu was one of the front-running States in sericulture activities in the country. The State government has provided Rs. 148 crore to promote sericulture in the last seven years. The demand for raw silk in the State stood at 3,000 tonnes, whereas the production was only 1,900 tonnes.
In order to increase the production of raw silk, many schemes were being implemented, he said and called upon seri culture farmers to join the initiatives of the government.
The Chief Minister also released a booklet explaining the achievements of the Sericulture Department, and distributed best sericulture awards to farmers on the occasion.
Rural Industries Minister P. Benjamin, who presided over the programme, said that a sericulture farmer could earn about Rs. 1.50 lakh per annum from an acre of mulberry crop. Tamil Nadu was a leader in cocoon productivity, chawkie worms distribution to farmers, and bivoltine silk production, he said.
Principal Secretary, Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi K. Phanindra Reddy said a plantation incentive of Rs.10,500 per acre and maximum upto five acres is being given to farmers planting high yielding mulberry crops, in an effort to encourage farmers.
Collector Rohini R. Bhajibhakare, said Salem district has 1,733 sericulture farmers utilising about 2,740 acres. Former State Minister S. Semmalai, P.R. Sundaram, MP and P. Sri Venkata Priya, Director of Sericulture; also spoke.