ANANTAPUR: The five decade-old indigenous silk industry is unable to compete with the Chinese silk production, which is spinning at least three times more than that in the country.
China produced nearly 70,000 metric tonne of silk, even during hard times, while the indigenous production is just 32,000 metric tonne a year. The Central Silk Board authorities observed at least 5,000 metric tonne of China silk was imported this year, which even crossed 9,000 metric tonnes in the previous years.
Poor research activities and lack of high-yielding silkworm varieties have had an affect on indigenous silk’s rating in the international market to 2A and 3A grades.
Local multivoltine silkworm races are unable to produce continuity in filament on modern automatic reeling machines. Sericulture is a labour intensive industry in all its phases - farm and non-farm sectors -- with employment generation of about 7.65 million persons per annum.
Since the labour force participation rate (LFPR) in sericulture is far ahead in comparison to similar rural avocations, it has significantly contributed to poverty alleviation.
“Three-and-a-half decades ago, sericulture industry was introduced at Lepakshi and spread all over the state. But fluctuation in the markets due to China silk and lack of high-yielding varieties has badly affecting the industry,” veteran sericulturist L. Rameswar Rao said.
Central Silk Board senior official Dr. Sivaprasad from Mysore said, “The new bivoltine varieties are producing good yield even on automatic reeling machines.
About 24 automatic reeling units are located in various parts of Karnataka along with Dharmvaram in AP and Jangaon in Telangana to produce quality silk of high standard.” He said cocoon prices are on the rise in the present season with 1 kg of bivoltine cocoons being sold at Rs 500.
Karnataka and AP top in production of mulberry (Bombix Mori) silk cocoons in the country. The research Institute of both AP and Telangana located in Hindupur has evolved Madagascar varieties, but could not gain in the markets. Now, research activities are on to evolve new races that can tolerate local climatic conditions.
Anti-dumping duty helps sericulturists
Silk cloth, mostly sari market, has an average Rs 1,000 crore turnover in Anantapur and surrounding Karnataka parts. While silk is being imported from China, similar value of fabric is exported abroad from local weavers, sericulture farmers’ association leader K. Anandaranga Reddy said.
Accordingly, an anti-dumping duty with a reference price of US $ 2.08- 7.59 per metre is imposed for import of Chinese silk fabric weighing from 20 - 100 g/m. The imposition of anti-dumping duty on import of raw silk and fabric has resulted in significant growth of the sericulture sector in the country.
Meanwhile, experiments by designers and master weavers in silk sari designs are attracting customers from international markets. Dharmavaram designers are introducing silk saris with lights, sandal wood pieces and musical devices, costume designer Mr. Mohan said.
