What is the economic importance of sericulture in India?

Answer 1

Silk, a naturally produced animal fibre of unparalleled grandeur is rightly called as The Queen of Textiles. It is characterised by exquisite qualities like the natural sheen, inherent affinity for dyes, vibrant colours, high absorbance, light weight, resilience and excellent drape, etc.

There are five major types of silk of commercial importance, obtained from different species of silkworms. India has the unique distinction of producing all these varieties of silk. The five varities of silk may be divided into two broad categories:-

Mulberry Silk

It comes from the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. which solely feeds on the leaves of mulberry plant. The bulk of the commercial silk produced in the world comes from this variety. In India, the major mulberry silk producing States are Karnataka, Andhra pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir which together accounts for 92 % of country's total mulberry raw silk production.

Vanya Silk or Non-Mulberry Silk (all other varieties of silk fall in this category)

1. Temperate Tasar Silk: It is generated by the silkworm, Antheraea mylitta which mainly thrive on the food plants Asan and Arjun. Tasar (Tussah) is a copperish colour, coarse silk mainly used for furnishings and interiors. In India, the major tasar silk producing States are Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Odisha, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

2. Tropical Tasar silk or Oak Tasar Silk: It is a finer variety of tasar generated by the silkworm, Antheraea proyeli J. which feeds on natural food plants of oak. In India, it is mainly produced in the sub-Himalayan belt of India covering the States of Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu & Kashmir.

3. Muga Silk: It is a golden yellow colour silk obtained from semi-domesticated multivoltine silkworm, Antheraea assamensis. These silkworms feed on the aromatic leaves of Som and Soalu plants. Muga Silk is the pride of Assam and is an integral part of the tradition and culture of the State.

4. Eri Silk (or Endi or Errandi): It is the product of a domesticated silkworm, Philosamia ricini that feeds mainly on castor leaves. It is a multivoltine silk spun from open-ended cocoons, unlike other varieties of silk. In India, this culture is practiced mainly in the North-Eastern States including Assam. It is also found in Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha. Ericulture is a household activity practiced mainly for protein rich pupae, a delicacy for the tribal. Resultantly, the eri cocoons are open-mouthed and are spun. The silk is used indigenous for preparation of chaddars (wraps) for own use by these tribal.

Geographically, Asia is the main producer of silk in the world and produces over 95 % of the total global output. But, bulk of it is produced in China, India, Japan, Brazil and Korea. India is ranked as the second major raw silk producer in the world. It contributes about 18% to the total world raw silk production.

Among the varieties of silk produced, mulberry silk accounts for 89.45%, followed by eri, tasar and muga at 8.04%, 1.89 and 0.62%, respectively. About 40-45% of silk produced is from charka and about 40-45% is from cottage basins and the rest 10% silk is from multi-end reeling. It is this position along with its immense employment potential, that makes sericulture and silk, indispensable in the Indian textile map.

Sericulture is one of the most labour intensive sectors, combining activities of both agriculture (sericulture) and industry. The production process involves a long chain of interdependent, specialized operations which provide a means of livelihood to a large section of the population, i.e., silkworm seed producers, farmers, reelers, twisters, weavers, spinners of silk waste, traders, etc. It is practiced in about 53,814 villages all over the country. It provides employment to about 6 million people, most of them being small and marginal farmers, or tiny & household industry mainly in rural areas.

Silk and silk goods are very good foreign exchange earners. The Indian Silk goods have high export potential because of its distinctness and low production cost. During 2007-08 (upto September 2007), the total silk exports were Rs. 1,376.91 crores. It is estimated that upto March 2008, the total silk exports is likely to reach Rs. 3,500.00 crores.

Sericulture suits both marginal and small scale land holders because of its low investments, high assured returns, short gestation period, rich opportunities for enhancement of income and creation of family employment round the year. In reality, it is an occupation by women and for women because women form more than 60% of the workforce and 80% of silk is consumed by them. The nature of work involved in the sericulture industry such as harvesting of leaves, rearing of silkworm, spinning or reeling of silk yarn and weaving are carried out by women.

It is a high income generating industry which is regarded as an important tool for economic development of a country.