Sericulture reaping profits for ryots

• Hundreds of groundnut farmers taken up mulberry cultivation after suffering losses over the years
• Each marginal farmer is earning Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000 with the demand for silk saris
• Planning to increase mulberry farming from 32,000 to 50,000 acres by 2019-20, says JDS

Uravakonda (Anantapur): Hundreds of small and marginal groundnut farmers of Shekshanapalle tribal hamlet owning 2 to 5 acres of land, who have a history of accumulated losses in groundnut cultivation turned to mulberry farming under Sericulture programme and experienced a turnaround financially wiping out their indebtedness and opening a new chapter of success in Sericulture.

For Mohan Naik of Shekshanapalle and for Sriram Naik, Govinda Naik, Venkatesh Naik, Sunkamma Naik and Suryanarayana, the dark days of uncertainty in agriculture was a thing of the past.

Each of them are now earning Rs 50,000 to 70,000, thanks to the demand for silk saris and the government patronage to the farmers in the form of incentives and subsidies. The sericulture farmers are now a happier lot.

Sharing his success story with The Hans India, Mohan Naik stated that he had quit his groundnut cultivation in preference for mulberry plantation in his four-acre land at Shekshanapalle in Uravakonda mandal after suffering losses for three consecutive years in groundnut cultivation.

“Accumulated debts were staring at me amidst suicidal thoughts, it was then I came to know through the Sericulture department that mulberry plantation was highly remunerative and a better option.

Without losing hope, I switched on to sericulture and planted mulberry plants in my 4 acres of land and reaped rich profits.

In a single crop, I earned Rs 70,000 and my expenditure was a mere Rs 10,000 as government through multiple subsidies took care of my investment burden.

My income was Rs 60,000 and I and my co-farmers are very happy as each of them earned similar income which helped all of us to wipe out our debts.

Sericulture was a profitable culture for tribal farmers,” a beaming Mohan Naik added.

The department of Sericulture has promoted mulberry plantation in 935 villages and as many as 24,566 farmers have stakes in producing silk which is supplied to weavers in Dharmavaram, Kadiri and Hindupuram and other places in the district. Of the 24,566 sericulture farmers, 15,929 are small farmers; 5,420 are marginal farmers and 3,221 are big farmers.

The farmers are cultivating the Victory-1 variety of mulberry plants with a crop duration of 70 days and every year the farmers are taking 5 crops and earning huge profits.

The silk worms are supplied to farmers by the government in the sheds built by the farmers at subsidised cost.

The farmers feed the worms with mulberry leaves. For 15 days, the farmers feed the worms and for 3 days they are given rest.

After 18 days, the worms weave cocoons around them and are supplied to reelers, who in turn eliminate worms through a heat process and preserve the silk threads and supply the same to weavers for making saris.

Joint Director of Sericulture (JDS) C Aruna Kumari told The Hans India that as per their vision statement the mulberry plantation would be increased to 50,000 acres from its present 32,000 acres by 2019-20.

Also cocoons production would shoot up to 32,000 metric tonnes from its present level of 18,000 metric tonnes.

The objective is to keep the district on the top in sericulture plantation.