PERAMBALUR: The major crops of shallots, cotton and maize in the district, over the past few years, saw decline in prices and the farmers resorted to the profitable alternative of sericulture. Silk farmers in the district, for three years now, have been making good profit every month with the subsidy provided by the government. The number of silkworm rearing sheds has been on an increase in the district and the farmers have become more interested in sericulture, says sericulture officials.
Under the guidance of the Department of Sericulture in the district, 103 farmers have been engaged in silkworm rearing over the last three years in the district. It has been carried out on 220 acres in 60 villages that includes Thambiranpatti, Echampatti, Irur, Ammapalayam, Arumbavur, Pandagapady, Perumathur
and Labbaikudikadu. K Manikandan, sericulture field inspector in Perambalur, says "The government provides a subsidy of Rs10,500 for mulberry cultivation, Rs 1,20,000 for sheds and Rs 52,000 for tools, and the farmers now are enthusiastically involved in it."
Farmers, until the previous month, have been buying silkworms from districts like Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri, Manikandan says. Thankfully, with the effort ofthe district administration and the department, a chawkie rearing centre is now functional in Pandagapady in the district for farmers to buy worms, he adds.
Sericulture is the farming of silkworms to produce raw silk. Farmers buy silkworms from sellers in the first week and culture the worms under closed conditions for three weeks. The cocoons are formed within 21 to 24 days. The current market price for cocoon is Rs 590 per kg and they are auctioned at government centres in Dharmapuri, Rasipuram, Salem, Tiruchy and Pudukkottai.
C Ramesh, a farmer from Pandagapady, says, "I have been involved in silkworm rearing by utilising five acres of land for the past two years. Prior to this, I cultivated sugarcane and maize. But it is an annual crop and we lose out during the harvest. Similarly, maize does not have much yield and permanent prices.
Thus, agriculture was at a loss for me and through sericulture I get 80 to 100 kg cocoon per acre and an income of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre per month. Silkworm rearing is a one-time investment and half the amount is the subsidy. Thus, it leads to more profit."
Farmer and retired Sub-Inspector A Kamaraj from Arumbavur says, "I have been rearing silkworm on 1.5 acres for over a year now. I received a government subsidy for planting mulberry and settting up a shed on my field. Currently, we are able to buy silkworms in our district. Unlike other crops, this does not
lead to major losses. I planted sugarcane which led to huge losses. However, I earn an average of `50,000 per acre through sericulture."
Speaking about the growing interest of farmers over the last three years, Manikandan says, "Initially, only ten farmers reared due to low cocoon prices andother reasons. Currently, 103 farmers are enthusiastically involved in sericulture and over 35 farmers are ready to cultivate."