It is well known that silk saris and silk skirts are in great demand all the time. If it is the wedding season of the year, the demand will increase tenfold. In south India , from little girls to grandmothers, silk or silk dresses are worn on weddings and holidays. Marriage function without silk saris is beyond the imagination of the women in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
India contributes 60 percent of the total silk industry in the world. Many other countries also produce silk. Apart from India, China ,Brazil ,Korea, Japan Uzbekistan, Vietnam ,Thailand, etc also do sericulture.
Temperatures between 25 C to 27 C are suitable for silkworm rearing. The areas with such climate is conducive to Mulberry plantation which is necessary to feed the silkworms. Wayanadu district in Kerala has the same temperature that has been mentioned. So many farmers in that region engage in sericulture. The practice of cultivating silkworms and collecting their cocoons are called sericulture.
Farmers in Wayanadu received many benefits and financial assistance through the Rural Development Department for this business. A sericulture cell was set up there to assist the farmers under the Poverty Alleviation Section and the silkworm eggs and egg larvae were delivered to the farmers through this agency.
The leaves of the mulberry plant are the main food of silkworms. If one acre of mulberry is cultivated, one can start the business . Mulberry leaves can be used as food for the worms. Sericulture is such a profession that it can be harvested in 22 days.
Wayanad farmers earn around 60000 rupees through sericulture. They transport cocoons of silkworms to markets in the neighbouring State , Karnataka. Silk makers collect cocoons from the market and take away them for processing in their factories. The auction is always held above the price fixed by the Central Silk Board. This result in huge profits for the farmers who are indulged in this cultivation. The farmers who are interested in cultivating silkworms are also given proper training and necessary assistance after receiving applications.
