After a slump during the pandemic years, over 13,000 new families have taken up sericulture in Karnataka in the last five years, contributing to a 43% increase in cocoon production and a nearly 20% jump in raw silk production.
Several factors, including government support, better cocoon prices and better availability of high-quality chawkis (carefully reared young silkworms essential for good yields) have helped the industry regain momentum, expanding mulberry cultivation to 1,18,000 hectares by 2024-25, the highest area in 15 years.
Farmers also believe that demand for Karnataka silk has strengthened after the Center banned Chinese silk, which earlier dominated the market due to its lower price. “The price of silk is now around ₹ 7,000-7,500 per kg and may go up to ₹ 9,000 in the coming months. It has fallen below ₹ 2,000 during Covid,” said M. Pemme Kumar, a sericulturist.
“Karnataka’s traditional silk belts – Ramanagara and Sidlaghatta, which are known for producing some of India’s finest cocoons – have seen farmers gradually abandon seric cultivation and switch to horticulture in the last decade, largely due to volatile prices and competition from cheaper imported silk. The ban on Chinese silk has brought some stability to the market,” said another grower, Bhupat Rajan.
Officials from the Central Silk Board, however, believe that Chinese imports were not the primary reason for the earlier drop in prices, noting that the price of Chinese silk remains around ₹5,000 per kg.
Incentives keep growers coming back
Growers pointed out that government support had significantly boosted the industry. “The state government has increased the incentive for bivoltine cocoon producers from ₹10 to ₹30 per kg in the 2024-25 budget. This has attracted many growers,” said Shantamma Nagaraju, a sericulturist.
Reels on retreat
While demand has strengthened and prices have recovered from pandemic lows, the industry continues to struggle with a dwindling number of reelers, a link in the value chain whose decline has itself contributed to the higher price of raw silk in recent years, growers said.
Youth avoid labor intensive trades
While the state government announced an annual subsidy of ₹ 12 crore for raw silk reelers through the Karnataka Minority Development Corporation during last year’s budget, many, especially the younger generation, no longer enter reeling due to low and irregular income, harsh working conditions and lack of mechanisation.
“Reeling, the laborious process of extracting fine silk fibers from cocoons, is struggling to survive as it is completely devoid of machinery and relies on skill, precision and hours of manual labor to produce high-quality yarn,” said the grower.
Published – 04 Dec 2025 19:41 IST
