KOCHI: Sericulture? And on a college campus? Vimala College in Thrissur has done it. In what can be called a first-of-its-kind initiative, the college has launched a ‘startup’, V-Weave, in which students engage in every aspect of silk production. Feebarani John, the zoology department head and the originator of V-Weave, told TNIE that the initiative was launched after thorough market studies.
“It was found that over the years the number of people engaging in sericulture was gradually going down. However, sericulture is one initiative that brings in good money -- a kilo of cocoons sells for around Rs 750 -- at minimal effort,” said the professor.
Sericulture in Keralam is primarily restricted to small cluster units in the districts of Idukki, Wayanad and Palakkad. In Idukki alone, the number of registered or active silk farmers dropped sharply from around 1,000 down to roughly 70 in recent years.
She said that students had their first silk cocoon harvest recently. “We gave the cocoons to the Silk Board,” Feebarani said. “This is the start. We will register the startup and expand to producing a campus-branded Kerala silk saree. Other value-added products like jewellery using the cocoons will also be made.”
According to her, the initiative was launched in collaboration with the Central Silk Board, Silk Mark Organisation of India and the state government’s poverty alleviation department. “Besides students, women interested in taking up sericulture, too, will be trained,” said Sister Beena Jose, the college principal. The attempt is to channel students from the campus to the silk industry and make them self-sufficient.
“This initiative will help in developing entrepreneurial awareness among students,” she added. Vimala College also plans to propagate and sell mulberry saplings to farmers interested in taking up sericulture. “We have already propagated a set of saplings, and they are ready for the market,” said Feebarani. The next step, after the startup begins a steady supply of cocoons, is to make silk threads and then make a saree.