Question : Status of Sericulture

a) the status of sericulture in the country;

b) the ranking of India in silk production in the world; and

c) the manner in which the Government is encouraging production and export of more silk to benefit farmers engaged in sericulture?

MINISTER OF TEXTILES
(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)


(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.


STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *384 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2019.

(a) & (b): India is the second largest producer of silk in the world. The total raw silk production in the country increased by 10.52% (35,261 Metric Tonne(MT)) during 2018-19 over the previous year 2017-18 (31,906 MT). Among the four varieties of silk produced in 2018-19, Mulberry accounts for 71.50% (25,213 MT), Tasar 8.44% (2,977 MT), Eri 19.40% (6,839 MT) and Muga 0.66% (232 MT) of the provisional total raw silk production of 35,261 MT. The variety-wise raw silk production in the county during last three years is given below:

(In Metric Tonne)
Particulars 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 (Provisional)

Mulberry (Bivoltine) 5,266 5874 6911
Mulberry (Cross breed) 16,007 16192 18302
Tasar 3,268 2988 2977
Eri 5,637 6660 6839
Muga 170 192 232
Total 30,348 31906 35261

(c): Central Silk Board (CSB), a statutory body under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India is encouraging production and export of silk. To benefit farmers engaged in sericulture, CSB is implementing a restructured Central Sector Scheme “Silk Samagra”, which mainly focuses on improving quality and productivity of domestic silk thereby reducing the country’s dependence on imported silk. Under the scheme, assistance is extended to sericulture stakeholders for the beneficiary oriented components like, raising of Kissan Nursery, Plantation with improved Mulberry varieties, Irrigation, Chawki Rearing Centres with incubation facility, construction of rearing houses, rearing equipment, door to door service agents for disinfection and input supply, support for Improved reeling units like Automatic Reeling units, multi-end Reeling machines, Improved Twisting machines and support for post yarn facilities for quality Silk and fabric production.

Under North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS), 38 Sericulture projects are being implemented in all North East States in the identified potential districts under three broad categories viz., Integrated Sericulture Development Project (ISDP) and Intensive Bivoltine Sericulture Development Project (IBSDP) and Aspirational District. Objective of these projects is to establish sericulture as viable commercial activity in North East Region by creating necessary infrastructure and imparting skills to the locals for silkworm rearing and allied activities in the value chain.

Steps taken to promote silk production and exports of silk:

i. Production of Bivoltine Silk: Bivoltine silk is the high quality mulberry silk produced in India as an import substitute silk. Research and Development has been focused to evolve productive bivoltine hybrids and package of practices for production of high quality bivoltine silk in the country.

ii. Strengthening the Research and Development system to improve the levels of cocoon production and productivity to develop improved mulberry/ host plant varieties, silkworm hybrids and technology packages.

iii. Cold Storage facilities and Bivoltine grainages have been strengthened to produce, store and supply quality Bivoltine silkworm seed.

iv. For production of 3A-4A grade raw Silk from the bivoltine cocoons, Automatic Reeling Machines (ARM)/Units have been established in the country.

v. Central Silk Board and State Governments mobilize additional funds for sericulture development through convergence by availing the schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) etc., being implemented by various other Ministries of Government of India to create required infrastructure at stakeholder’s level.

vi. To make the domestic silk weaving market segment stronger and also Indian silk export sector highly competitive, basic customs duty of 10% and 20% is levied on raw silk and silk fabric import respectively.

vii. Thrust provided on product development & diversification with focus on silk blends and popularizing Vanya silk products in the export business.

viii. Steps have been taken to promote and establish ‘’Indian Silk’’ as a brand in the global market through generic promotion & to promote Indian Silk with the ‘’Silk Mark Tag’’ to create a Brand image of Indian Silk.

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