BENGALURU: Hit by the Covid pandemic, the sericulture industry saw a silver lining with two silk rearers netting a record high of Rs 1,043 and Rs 1,042 for a kilogram of bivoltine cocoons at the Ramanagara cocoon market on Wednesday.
While farmer Ramesh of Siddaiahnadoddi in Kanakapura taluk pocketed Rs 98,569 for 95 kg of cocoon at Rs 1,043 a kg, Gangadharappa of Kondlahalli village in Molakalmuru taluk of Chitradurga district got Rs 1.63 lakh against 158 kg of cocoon, which Mohamed Zabi Ahmed grabbed at the bid. The average price for a kg of cocoon elsewhere across the state is Rs 870.
The high price is good news for Karnataka which produces 79,800 metric tonnes annually, cornering 48 per cent of the country’s silk production and providing livelihood to over 1.3 lakh mulberry farmers on 1.10 lakh hectares. The price which was stable at an average of 720 per kg for three months witnessed a surge into four digits, setting a historical record.
In 2020-21, the price was at Rs 300 per kg when the government had to intervene as it fell below the Rs 350 mark, with Rs 50 as incentive. The price picked up in November and December recording Rs 700 to Rs 800 per kg.
The stainability of the price for three months is attributed to the reduction of the raw silk import from China owing to the pandemic and also farmers producing better quality cocoons by adopting good practices in silk worm rearing. Besides, the automatic reeling machines helped in the production of international grade raw silk on par with the China’s, said Nagabushan, additional director of sericulture.