Sericulture is an agro-based industry.

It involves rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk, which is the yarn obtained out of cocoons spun by certain species of insects. The major activities of sericulture comprises of food-plant cultivation to feed the silkworms which spin silk cocoons and reeling the cocoons for unwinding the silk filament for value added benefits such as processing and weaving.

Sericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production by B. mori dates to about 2700 BC, although archaeological records point to silk cultivation as early as the Yangshao period (5000 10,000 BCE).[1] About the first half of the 1st century AD it had reached ancient Khotan,[2] and by AD 140 the practice had been established in India.[3] Later it was introduced to Europe, the Mediterranean and other Asiatic countries. Sericulture has become one of the most important cottage industries in a number of countries like China, Japan, India, Korea, Brazil, Russia, Italy and France. Today, China and India are the two main producers, together manufacturing more than 60% of the world production each year.

Production
Silkworm larvae are fed mulberry leaves, and, after the fourth moult, climb a twig placed near them and spin their silken cocoons. The silk is a continuous-filament fiber consisting of fibroin protein, secreted from two salivary glands in the head of each larva, and a gum called sericin, which cements the two filaments together. The sericin is removed by placing the cocoons in hot water, which frees the silk filaments and readies them for reeling. The immersion in hot water also kills the silkworm pupae. Single filaments are combined to form thread. This thread is drawn under tension through several guides and wound onto reels. The threads may be plied together to form yarn. After drying the raw silk is packed according to quality.

Stages of production
The stages of production are as follows: 1. The silk moth lays eggs. 2. When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars are fed mulberry leaves. 3. When the silkworms are about 25 days old, they are 10,000 times heavier than when they hatched. They are now ready to spin a silk cocoon. 4. The silk is produced in two glands in the silkworm's head and then forced out in liquid form through openings called spinnerets. 5. The silk solidifies when it comes in contact with the air. 6. The silkworm spins approximately 1 mile of filament and completely encloses itself in a cocoon in about two or three days but due to quality restrictions, the amount of usable silk in each cocoon is small. As a result, 5500 silkworms are required to produce 1 kg of silk. 7. The silk is obtained from the undamaged cocoons by brushing the cocoon to find the outside end of the filament.

8. The silk filaments are then wound on a reel. One cocoon contains approximately 1,000 yards of silk filament. The silk at this stage is known as raw silk. One thread consists of up to 48 individual silk filaments. Silkworms were first brought from Asia to Byzantium around A.D. 550. Legend has it that two monks hid silkworm eggs inside a bamboo pole to smuggle them out of China, where they were guarded as closely as state secrets. The monks then presented the eggs to Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in Constantinople, where he created a thriving silk industry. Silkworms reached Italy through Sicily in the 12th century, and by the 13th century, silkworm cultivationor sericulturehad migrated north to the Po River Valley. By the 16th century, sericulture had been introduced to the Como area. Silkworm farming was a brutal job. Since silkworms require a constant, mild temperature, entire sections of farmhouses were turned over to them and whole families would often pitch in, stoking round-the-clock fires to maintain the proper warmth. Some even "gave the worms the house and slept outside in the stalls with the animals," says Ester Geraci, an official at Como's Educational Silk Museum. The process began with the 10-to 14-day incubation of silkworm eggs, which are produced by the mating of adult silkworm moths. According to the Silk Museum, keeping the tiny, delicate eggs (about the size of a pinhead) at just the right temperature was "the task of the women, who often carried small bags of eggs in direct contact with their skin. . .sometimes between their breasts." Once hatched, the worms, only about one millimeter long, had to be fed mulberry leaves night and day. From a birth weight of only half a milligram, they would grow 10,000-fold to a final weight of around five grams and a length of 8 to 9 centimeters (3 inches) in just 30 to 32 days. Then, in the final three days of their larval stage, the worms would start to spin their cocoons out of one continuous thin filamentup to 1,200 meters (or 4,000 feet) longwhich they emitted from a "spinneret" located near their mouths. The filament, formed primarily of a substance called fibroin manufactured in two glands on the underside of their jaws, hardened instantly when it came in contact with the air. After about a week, the cocoons were placed briefly in a hot, dry oven to kill the adult moths inside. (If allowed to emerge from a cocoon, an adult moth would ruin the silk, so just enough adult moths were allowed to fully mature to maintain the reproduction cycle.) The cocoons were then put in hot water to facilitate the difficult and tedious task of extracting the silk. The minute end of the cocoon's silk filament had to be located and threaded onto a reel, which then unwound it from the water-warmed cocoon. The silk thread was then cleaned, twisted (to prevent filaments from separating) and woven into fabric. Como's silk companies now buy most of their undyed raw silk (both fabric and yarn) from China.
SERICULTURE INDUSTRY AND ITS POTENTIAL IN INDIA

SERICULTURE, the technique of silk production, is an agro-industry, playing an eminent role in the rural economy of India. Silk-fibre is a protein produced from the silk-glands of silkworms. Historically, sericulture was introduced for the first time, into China by Hoshomin, the Queen of China. For a long time, sericulture was considered to be a national secret by the Chinese Government, and as an industry it was not known in other countries. Later, it was introduced into Europe and Japan as well. According to reports available, sericulture was introduced into India about 400 years back and the industry flourished as an agro-industry till 1857, with an annual production of two million pounds of silk fibre. The industry survived the onslaught of the Pebrine disease during the period from 1857 to 1895. However, after 1928, the sericulture industry showed a decline in its production owing to the fierce competition from advanced sericulture countries, such as Japan, China and European countries. After the Independence, the industry is flourishing as an agro-industry, giving employment to over 3.5 million people in the Country. The annual production of silk in the world is estimated at 45,000 tonnes of which Japan and China contribute 18,936 and 13,200 tonnes respectively. South Korea, USSR and India are the other leading sericultural countries in the world. The industry has survived the stiff competition with the man-made fibres and it is now estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations that the total requirement of silk by 1980 would be of the order of 80,000 tonnes, leaving a demand of 35,000 tonnes. Japan, which is the premier silk-producing country, owing to its recent industrialisation, high cost of labour and the shortage of land available foe mulberry cultivation, has its limitations in increasing its production. Further, owing to heavy internal consumption, Japan has become an importer of silk, thus widening the gap between production and demand. This situation has given a boost to the sericulture industry in the developing countries, e.g.India and South Korea. Among the developing countries, India enjoys a very favourable position for doubling the present status of of silk porduction of 2,969 tonnes owing to the low cost of labour. sericulture is ideally suited for improving the rural economy of the country, as it is practised as a subsidiary industry to agriculture. Recent research has also shown that sericulture can be developed as a highly rewarding agro-industry. BACKGROUND OF THE INDUSTRY In developing countries, e.g.India, agriculture and agro-based industries play a vital role in the improvement of rural economy.The limited availability of land, the limited cash returns, and agriculture being confined to one or two seasons in the year, have made villages to look for supporting rural industries, such as sericulture. Agriculture and sericulture are adopted simultaneously by the agriculturists in regions where the ecological conditions are favourable. In India, over three million people are employed in various fields of sericulture. It is a cottage industry and provides ample work for the womenfolk in the rural areas in rearing silk worms, while the male members work in the fields. Recently the enforcing of new ideas by research institutions both in mulberry cultivation and silk-worm-handling among sericulturists, the industry is now practised as a main profession and as a major cash crop, of the country. Five varieties of silk worms are reared in India for producing this natural fibre. Bombyx mori, the silk worm, feeds on the leaves of Morus to produce the best quality of fibre among the different varieties of silk produced in the country. Antherea assama is confined to only Brahmaputra Valley of India in the world.It produces the famous mugasilk.Tasar silk is a product of Antherea mylitta, which feeds on Terminalia tomentosa grown in the thick jungles of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. The recent introduction of Antherea royeli and Antherea perniyi has enabled the country to produce the oak tasar silk, Phylosamia ricini, the eri silkworm, which feeds on Ricinus communis, is raised in Assam and Orissa commercially.

Of the total production of 2,969 tonnes of silk in India, as much as 2,445 tonnes is produced by the mulberry silkworms,Bombyx mori. Mulberry silk is produced extensively in the states of Karnataka, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. About 85 per cent of the country's production is contributed by the Karnataka state by rearing multivoltine hybrids of silkworm and this activity enables the sericulturists to harvest five to six crops a year. Jammu and Kashmir, owing to its salubrious climate during autumn and spring, is producing silk by rearing univoltine silkworms. Other states, namely, Andhra pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh,Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, contribute roughly 1.8 percent to the total production of mulberry silk in India.The State wise silk production in the country is given in Table 1. Table1. Raw Silk Production in India (1974)

State

Production Production Production Production (in tonnes) (in tonnes) (in tonnes) (in tonnes) Mulberry Tasar Eri Muga 1 .. 234 .. .. .. 117 1 .. 19 .. .. .. 21 .. 393 .. 87 3 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 91 .. 41 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 41

1.Andhra .. Pradesh 2.Assam 7 3.Bihar .. 4.Himachal 2 Pradesh 5.Jammu and 68 Kashmir 6.Karnataka 2,036 7.Madhya 1 Pradesh 8.Maharashtra .. 9.Meghalaya 1 10.Orissa .. 11.Punjab 1 12.Tamil Nadu 9 13.Uttar 4 Pradesh 14.West 316 Bengal 15.Tripura .. Total 2,445

Tasar silkworms are reared traditionally by the tribal people of Madhya Pradesh,Bihar, Orissa. These 3 states mainly contribute to the production of tasar silk in the country. The recent rearing of Antherea royeli & Antherea perniyi has enabled the country to produce the oak tasar silk in the sub-Himalayan belt & in Manipur. Muga silk is grown exclusively in Assam & it is still considered to be a ceremonial dress by the local population.

Assam produces as much as 90% of eri silk in the country by rearing eri silkworms on castor leaves.

MULBERRY SILK
The systematic cultivation of mulberry, the food plant of Bombyx mori, is the first step in the production of mulberry silk. The total area under mulberry in India is 1,20,567 hectares, of which only 28,781 hectares is irrigated Whereas, mulberry is raised as a bush plantation in Karnataka & West Bengal, it is grown as trees in Jammu & Kashmir. Four Indian species of Morus, namely Morus alba, M.indica, M. serrata & M. laevigata, are raised as main food plants of silkworms. The propagation of mulberry in Karnataka & west Bengal is through vegetative propagation, whereas root-grafting & bud-grafting are practised in the hilly areas of Jammu & Kashmir & Uttar Pradesh. Considering the ecological conditions, such as rainfall & the nature of soil, different systems of plantations for raising mulberry are practised in India.In the rain-fed areas,mulberry is planted at a distance of 7.6*7.6 cm whereas under irrigation the spacing of 5 cm* 5cm & the row system ( 4 cm between rows & 15 cm between plants) are followed. In West Bengal, a modified system of row plantation, popularly called 'Malda System' is practised even under rainfed conditions, because of the rich soil & heavy rainfall.Recently, tree plantation have ben introduced into Jammu & Kashmir. The cost of producing mulberry has a direct impact on the cost of producing cocoons, as nearly 605 of the total cost of production of cocoons goes to the production of mulberry leaves. Experiments conducted in the moriculture divisions of the research institutions to evolve new varieties of mulberry & improved methods of cultivation have shown that over 30,000 kg of quality leaf can be produced per annum at competitive costs against 15,000 kg by adopting the traditional methods under irrigation. Many high-yielding varieties have been introduced into the country, & they not only double the leaf yield, but also maintain the succulence of the leaves, a factor which is very important under tropical conditions.

SILKWORM-REARING
In India(Karnataka state), where the temperature ranges from 16-31 degree centigrade, enjoys favourable climatic conditions for rearing the silkworm Bombyx mori throughout the year, whereas in West Bengal, the multivoltine silk-worm rearing is practised even under adverse conditions of temperature. In Jammu & Kashmir, the rearing of silkworms is practised once a year during May-June. Of a life span of 50 days of B.mori, the egg stage lasts 10 days, the larval stage lasts longest-2530 days. The pupa stage takes 10 days. The silkworm pass 4 moults during growth. The total quality of leaf required to raise a unit of 40,000 larvae(100 dfls) is 500-600 kg by using the traditional methods. The silkworms consume as much as 95% of the food after the third & fourth moults. At the end of the larval duration, the silkworm emits silk from its mouth & constructs a cocoon on a scaffolding. The cocoons produced by hybrids are used for extracting the silk fibre. For preparing the hybrid silkworm eggs, pure races of silkworms are raised in seperate areas. The cocoons are preserved properly in the egg-producing factories, popularly called silkworm grainages. the moths are allowed to emerge. The selected combination of moths are allowed to copulate for 4 hrs. The male after the first copulation is either rejected or used for copulating with another female. Later, the female is consigned to a dark plastic 'cellule'. She lays about 400 eggs in 24 hours. At the end of 24 hours, the female is crushed & examined for hereditary diseases. Only certified disease-free hybrid eggs are reared for industrial silk production.

Considering the various factors, such as the place of origin,voltinism, the colour of the cocoons, the larval markings, the colour ,shape & size of cocoons,the silkworms are classified into different breeds. The multivoltine races & their hybrids are reared in West Bengal & Karnataka. Owing to the non-diapausing of the eggs & the copious growth of the mulberry, these breeds can be reared six times & the cocoons are harvested after 2 months. These multivoltine hybrids have a short larval duration & are generally poor yielders of cocoons. Bivoltines, because of the interruption of diapause, can have only 2 life-cycles a year. However, its possible to break the diapause artificially by treating 1-day old eggs in Hydrochloric acid of 1.064 specific gravity at 46.1 degree centigrade. By adopting this technique, it is possible to take more than 4 crops in a year. Univoltines & bivoltines require more leaves than multivoltines. However, the yield & quality of the cocoons are superior to those of multivoltines. The multivoltine silkworms yield about 25 kg of cocoons per 40,000 eggs reared, whereas the bivoltines yield 40 kgs. The average annual yield of cocoons in India is as low as 150 kg under rainfed conditions, & under irrigated conditions, it is about 400 kg.

SILK-REELING
The cocoons are cooked in hot water & the silk fibre is unwound from the cocoons.This process is called 'reeling'. The silk consists of two proteins, the inner core of fibroin & an outer cover of gum sericin. During reeling, the cocoons are processed in hot water at 95-97 degree centigrade for 10-15 minutes. This process is called cooking. This cooking will enable the sericin portion to get softened & make unwinding easy without breaks. The cocoons after cooking are reeled in hot water in different types of machines. In India, 61 percent of the silk amounting to 1,320 tonnes is reeled on the country-type charka numbering 6,656. The silk produced with the country charka is of very poor quality, as the thread is not uniform, as it carries many slubs etc. The improved cottage-type basins have been introduced recently into India. Provision for button-holes & a proper croisure system to maintain the thickness of the fibre, & to control the defects of neatness in the cottage basin have facilitated the production of better-quality silk. As much as 806 tonnes of silk is produced by 4000 cottage basins in the country. Large-scale basins organised scientifically are arranged in filatures for the extraction of superior quality fibre. The silk produced by the filatures is superior because of the low level of defects of cleanliness & uniformity in the thickness of the fibre. Only 8% of the total production of silk in India is contributed by filatures. The silk produced from the multivoltine races of silkworms is poor in quality & is known to have greater defects, such as lousiness, & defects in neatness & cleanliness & is of very poor quality in light of the international D grade. The silk produced by the bivoltine races of silkworms possesses superior neatness & cleanliness, is without lousiness & has high tensile strength & stands to the international A grade. The new technology of handling silkworms in the country has shown that bivoltine silkworms, producing the international quality of silk, can be produced throughout the year in the Karnataka state in India. It has been shown that, on an average, 30-35 kg of cocoons, yielding 3-4 kg of high grade silk can be produced by rearing 40,000 eggs of bivoltines, as compared with 25 kg of cocoons & 1.4 kg of low-quality fibre from multivoltines.

BIVOLTINE COCOON HARVEST

Research observations have shown that the cocoon production can be increased significantly at economic costs.

It is programmed to produce 800 tonnes of bivoltine silk in Karnataka alone by 1980 & increase silk production from mulberry in India to 3,500 tonnes. Non-mulberry silk industry Tasar culture. Three species of Antherea are used for the extraction of tasar silk in India. They are Antherea mylitta, A. perniyi & A. royeli. In the case of the non-mulberry silk produced in India, 393 tonnes is produced from Antherea mylitta in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa & Bihar. This silkworm is reared on trees of Terminalia tomentosa,Terminalia arjuna found in the jungles of central & north-eastern parts of India. The tasar silkworms also exist in nature in jungles & are collected by the tribal people during certain seasons. The first crop, usually called the seed crop, is raised during May to July, whereas the commercial crop is raised during October-November. Moths emerge from the cocoons of the November crop in June. The female moths are allowed to lay eggs after copulation in small baskets called manias. The eggs are collected & tied to the trees so that the hatched silkworms crawl up to reach the leaves of the food plants. Tasar silkworms are reared wild in nature & they survive exposed to the vagaries of nature & predators. They are uaually green. However, yellow, blue & white larvae are also reported. The larvae pass 4 moults before they complete their duration. At the end of the larval period, the larvae spin a ring-like structure around the twin & a long peduncle before it constructs the cocoon. The cocoons are large & brown or yellow. When the rearing is practised under cultivated conditions, the rearers protect the worms from pests & predators to harvest rich crops. The cocoons are cooked in caustic potash & reeled to extract the fibre. They are also spun for manufacturing coarse fibre. Tasar rearing. The recent introduction of Antherea perniyi & A. royeli on oak in Manipur has opened up new vistas for the production of superior quality tasar fibre in India. The cocoons spun by the Antherea perniyi can be easily reled & superior-quality fibre can be extracted. Antherea royeli is available in oak jungles of the sub-Himalayan belt. The cocoons are made up of 2 layers, an outer layer of thin floss & an inner thick shell of silk. The silk can be extracted only from the inner layer. Hybrids of A. perniyi & A. royeli are being exploited commercially for the production of quality tasar silk in India. A target of 650 tonnes of silk is proposed to be produced by the end of the Fifth Five-year Plan. Muga culture. The golden-yellow silk produced by Antherea assama is found only in the Brahmaputra Valley of India. This species of silkworm is semi-domesticated in that the worms which crawl down at the end of their larval period are collected by the rearers. They are allowed to spin cocoons in the rearer's houses. The worms are raised on Som(Machilus bombycina) & soalu(Litsaea polyantha) -trees. A single female moth of muga lays 150-200 eggs after copulating with the male for 6-8 hrs. Usually, the female is tied to a 'kharika' for laying eggs. The larvae are reared, outdoors on trees of som or soalu.The young ones are yellowish with black markings on the body. They have the habit of crawling down the trees in groups when no leaves are left. During this time, the rearer transfers the worms to another tree. At the end of the larval period, when the worms are ready to spin the cocoons, they crawl down the tree in search of a suitable place for the construction of cocoons. Such worms are collected by the rearer & are allowed to spin the cocoons in 'jali', made of dried twigs. The cocoon has a very weak peduncle & is golden-yellow. The cocoons are boiled in soap & soda aolution & are reeled on an appliance called "bhir". It is a tradition in Assam to raise muga silk. The total production of muga silk in India is 41 tonnes & is estimated that the country can produce 120 tonnes by 1980.

>Eri culture. The silk produced by Philosamia ricini is called eri silk. It is grown in Assam & in the eastern parts of India. The heavy rainfall & humid atmosphere in these parts are suited to eri culture. The food plants for Philosamia ricini is castor.The alternative food plants are but eri culture is mainly practised on castor. This silk worm is multivoltine & is reared indoors. The eggs are white, hatch in ten days. The hatched larvae are mounted on castor leaves in the rearing-house & are allowed to grow by periodical feeding. The worms pass four moults during its larval period of 30-32 days. Eri silkworm is generally hardy & not easily susceptible to diseases. at the end of the larval period, the larvae crawl in search of a suitable place among castor leaves to spin the cocoons. The cocoons are usually white. However, brick red cocoons have also been observed. The cocoons of the eri silkworm cannot be reeled, as they are made up of uneven fibres. Usually, after the emergence of the moths, the cocoons are used for producing spun-yarn. Ninety-one tonnes of eri silk is produced in the country, & it is proposed to produce 375 tonnes by the end of the Fifth Plan. Research findings have shown that under the existing acreage of food plants of silkworms, it is possible to increase the silk production 3-fold, in addition to increasing its quality. The introduction of new technology of handling Bombyx mori silkworms into the major sericultural tracts of the Karnataka state has enabled the state to produce a significant quality of bivoltine silk standing to the international grades. This silk was originally imported. Its addition to the import substitution, the introduction of bivoltine silk production will enable the country to enter the export market of raw silk, opening a new directional approach to the development of sericulture in the country. It is proposed to produce over 800 tonnes of bivoltine silk by the end of the Fifth Five-Year Plan. The impact of bivoltine silkworm-rearing has already been felt by the sericulturists in Karnataka. In addition to the higher returns of over Rs 10,000 per acre & the quality of cocoons, there is a significant improvement in the production of the existing multivoltine silk, as the bivoltine males are used for cross-breeding with the multivoltines. a significant break-through in controlling the diseases of silkworms & mulberry has ben achieved through the efforts of the research institutes in India. It has been shown that silk production in India can be increased from the present standard of 25kg per hectare to 140 kg under irrigated conditions & from 10 kg per hectare to 25 kg under rainfed conditions & the country's production can be increased 3-fold. These observations have a significant influence on the employment potential of the rural people increasing the employment potential from 30.37 lakhs of persons to 37.94 lakhs by 1980. Recent findings relating to the rearing of tasar silkworms on oak plants in the sub-Himalayan range & in Manipur have placed the country in a new set-up of producing a significant quantity of quality tasar silk. It has also opened up new avenues for introducing & improving sericulture. It has also enhanced employment potential to the tribal & poorer sector in the hilly areas. Thus the country is poised for a white revolution leading to the production of international-quality silk, both in the mulberry & tasar sector & increasing the total silk production to 3500 tonnes providing employment potential for 37 lakhs of rural people in various fields of silk production.

About Silk No other fabric has fascinated man so continuously over millennia as silk. It is royal in its splendor, exotic and sensuous in its radiance. An aura of luxury has always surrounded and still surrounds,

cloths made of silk. No other fabric drapes more beautifully or flatters the body more than silk. Silken shine, silken soft, and silken smooth these epithets show that the queen of fabrics is a symbol of beauty, plain and simple. Sericulture Sericulture is an art of rearing silkworm for the production of cocoons which is the raw material for the production of silk. India has the unique distinction of being the only country producing all the five kinds of silk Mulberry, Eri, Muga, Tropical Tasar and Temperate Tasar. But in Tamil Nadu, mostly mulberry silk is produced. The larva of mulberry silk moth, Bombyx mori, is a domesticated form which feeds on the leaves of Mulberry tree, Morus alba. The larva of mulberry silk moth grows for about 20-23 days feeding mulberry leaves. The fully matured larva spins to protect itself just before the pupa stage, a cocoon out of the most expensive and purest of threads, silk. Sericulture Activities Moriculture Cultivation of mulberry plants is referred to as Moriculture. It is an agricultural activity. In Tamil Nadu, mulberry cultivation is mainly taken up in irrigated condition. Flat, deep, fertile, well drained loamy and clay loamy with good moisture holding capacity soil is ideal for mulberry cultivation. Silkworm Seed Production The silkworm seed production centers are referred to as grainages. The silkworm seed known as Disease Free Layings are

prepared in their centers and supplied to the farmers for rearing. Both Government and private sector grainages are involved in this activity. Silkworm Rearing Silkworm Rearing is considered to be an agro based cottage industry since it involves mulberry cultivation. Silkworms are reared for the production of cocoons which is the raw material for silk production. The farmers rear silkworms and produce cocoons. By marketing the cocoons the farmers earn money. It is ideally suited for the rural areas of Sericulture States. Silkworms are reared in well ventilated rearing shed following shoot rearing method. Marketing of cocoons The farmers can sell the cocoon produced by them in the nearest Govt. Cocoon Markets. In the cocoon markets reasonable floor price is fixed by scientific methods and the final selling price is decided in the open auction. Here, silk reelers buy the cocoons produced by the farmers for producing silk. Silk Reeling Extraction of silk filament from cocoons by employing a set of processes is known as silk reeling. Presently silk reeling is done using three types of reeling devices viz. Charka, Cottage basins and Multi-end basins. Poor quality cocoons can be reeled economically on charka. About 50% of silk produced is of charka and about 35 40% is at cottage basins and a small quantity of silk is from multiend reeling. Charka is a primitive device with which it is not possible to produce quality silk. Even though the cottage basin produces better

quality silk compared to charka, it still falls short of gradable silk. Only with multiend reeling device gradable quality silk can be produced. The most important version of silk reeling device is the automatic silk reeling machines which are popular in China and Japan. Now, steps are being taken to establish automatic silk reeling machines in TamilNadu. The silk obtained out of the reeling process is referred to as Raw Silk. It is the silk reeled by drawing together the filaments from a number of cocoons (6 12) based on the thickness required for weaving sector. Marketing of Raw silk The raw silks produced by the silk reelers are marketed directly to the weavers or through Silk Exchanges functioning in the Sericultural States. In the Silk Exchanges all the raw silk lots brought by the silk reelers are tested for quality. On the basis of quality of raw silk and the price prevailed in major marketing centre, floor price is fixed and then they are auctioned. The Silk Exchange enables the reelers to get immediate cash for the raw silk transacted by them. Silk Weaving The raw silk cannot be directly used for weaving. The raw silk is to be twisted before they are fed into looms. The operation of conversion of raw silk into twisted silk, is termed as twisting. The twisted silk is referred to as Ready Silk. Twisting is undertaken either by separate entrepreneurs or by the weavers themselves. The silk weaving is done either on handlooms or power looms. The traditional silk sarees and

dhoties are made on handlooms whereas the printed sarees, dress materials, etc., are made on power looms. Sericulture in India In India, Sericulture is essentially a village-based industry providing employment to a sizable section of the population. Although Sericulture is considered as a subsidiary occupation, technological innovation has made it possible to take it up on an intensive scale capable of generating adequate income. It is also capable of providing continuous income to farmers. India is the second largest producer of silk in the world with an annual silk production of around 20,000 M.Tons. All the known varieties of silk, viz. Mulberry, Eri, Muga and Tasar are produced in India. Mulberry silk is the most popular variety in India, contributing more than 87% of the Countrys silk production. Silk and silk goods are very good foreign exchange earners. Export potential of this sector is promising as silk production in Japan is declining and that of China, the largest silk production in the World, it is stagnant or declining. In India, because of the prevalence of favourable climatic conditions, mulberry is cultivated mainly in five states, viz., Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir. These five states collectively account for 97% of the total area under mulberry cultivation and 95% of raw silk production in the country. Now, as a result of growing realization, sericulture is gaining ground in nontraditional areas too. Most of the silk produced in the country is from multi

x bi hybrids which is inferior in quality and cannot meet the international standard as well as the domestic needs of the power loom sector. Majority of the silk produced in India is consumed for producing sarees mainly on handlooms. Bivoltine silk excels in quality and is mostly produced in country having temperate climate. Hence the power loom weavers prefer imported superior quality silk. The present global scenario clearly indicates the enormous opportunities for the Indian Silk Industry. The need of the hour is to produce more bivoltine silk with reduced cost of production to meet the growing demands of quality silk. Realising this, the Govt. of India is taking all out efforts to boost bivoltine production in the country with the technical support from Japan International Co-operation Agency. Sericulture in Tamil Nadu When the states were reorganized on linguistic basis in 1956, Sericulture was practiced in limited pockets of Coimbatore and Dharmapuri districts in the State with mulberry cultivation in an area of 500 hectares only. Then with the implementation of many developmental schemes in the State Sericulture activity was introduced into the plains of the State. To encourage development of the activity in the State, the Government upgraded the Sericulture wing functioning under the Department of Industries and Commerce to function as a separate Department of Sericulture headed by a Director, from the year 1979 with Headquarters at Salem. After formation of the Department, infrastructure facilities like Seed Farms, Cocoon Markets, Silk Reeling units, Sericulture Training Centres and Silk Exchange were established.

At present 20,165 farmers are practicing Sericulture in Tamil Nadu, cultivating 31,362 acres of mulberry. This gives employment opportunities to 1,56,810 persons as on 31.03.2011. Tamil Nadu occupies fourth position in the country in silk production. Now it is working with an aim to occupy third position. The annual silk production in Tamil Nadu is arround 1200 Metric Tons. Tamil Nadu is well known for its traditional silk sarees and dhoties woven on handlooms. The weaving sector of Tamil Nadu comprises mostly of Handlooms, Kancheepuram, Arni, Kumbakonam, Salem, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tirunelveli are important weaving centres in Tamil Nadu.

Infrastructure of the Department of Sericulture, TamilNadu For implementing various developmental schemes of the Department, the following infrastructure facilities are available in the State. Five Regional Offices and 26 offices of the Asst. Directors are functioning. An office headed by a Deputy Director is functioning at Hosur, to monitor silkworm seed co-ordination. TamilNadu Sericulture Training Institute at Hosur, headed by a Principal / Deputy Director, is functioning for imparting training.

For the distribution of silkworm layings to the sericulturists 11 Govt. grainages 3 Central Silk Boards grainages and 6 private Grainages are functioning in Tamil Nadu.

For providing marketing facilities for the cocoons produced by the Sericulturists, 19 cocoon markets are functioning.

Nineteen seed farms for the production of seed cocoons and 2 P1 grainages for the production of seed layings are functioning.

Thirty Govt. Silk Farms are engaged in providing training to the sericulturists, distributing mulberry saplings to the sericulturists and educating the sericulturists as Pilot Centres.

For the silk reeling and silk twisting entrepreneurs 8 Govt. Silk Reeling units and 3 Govt. Silk twisting units are functioning as Pilot Centres.

A Silk Exchange headed by a Deputy Director is functioning at Kancheepuram, for ensuring fair transaction of silk.

Tamil Nadu Co-operative Silk Producers Federation, TANSILK an apex co-operative body, with Headquarters at Kancheepuram and with branches at Kancheepuram, Arni, Kumbakonam, Salem, Erode and Coimbatore is functioning for the purchase of raw silk and ready silk and supply them to the Handloom Weavers Co-operative Societies and other weaving sectors.

Central Silk Board For the development of silk industry in India, the Central Silk Board, a statutory body, is functioning under the administrative control

of the Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, with its Headquarters at Bangalore. The following are the important functions assigned to the Board. 1. Promoting the development of silk industry by such measures as it thinks fit. 2. Undertaking, assisting and encouraging scientific, technological and Economic Research. 3. Devising means for improved methods of mulberry cultivation, silkworm rearing, developing and distributing healthy silkworm seeds, improving methods of silk reeling, improving the quality and production of raw silk. 4. Improving the marketing of raw silk. 5. The collection and compilation of statistics. 6. Advising the Govt. of India an all matters relating to the development of silk industry including import and export of raw silk. Central Silk Boards Nested Units in Tamil Nadu A Regional office headed by a Deputy Secretary (Tech) is functioning with its Headquarters at Chennai for coordinating the sericulture activities of Southern States. A Regional Sericultural Research Station at Salem. A Sericulture Germplasm Resource Centre at Hosur.

Four Sericulture Service Centres of Bagalur (Krishnagiri District), Palacode (Dharmapuri District), Coimbatore (Coimbatore District) and Natrampalli (Vellore District).

Two P2 Basic Seed Farms at Kumbarapalli (Krishnagiri District) and Yealgiri Hills (Vellore District).

Three Silkworm seed production centres at Dharmapuri (Dharmapuri District), Hosur (Krishnagiri District) and Tirupathur (Vellore District).

Six Research Extension Centres at Gobi (Erode District), Udumalpet (Coimbatore District) Samayanallur (Madurai District) , Srivilliputhr (Virudhnagar District), Hosur (Krishnagiri District) and Krishnagiri (Krishnagiri District)

A Satellite Silkworm Breeding Station at Coonoor (Nilgiris District).

A Silk Conditioning and Testing House at Kancheepuram (Kancheepuram District).

Central Silk Boards support services to Tamil Nadu With its nested units Central Silk Board undertakes Regional specific researches, produce and distribute silkworm seed materials, conduct field trials, transfer the technologies developed in the Research Station to the field and improve the quality aspects of cocoon and silk. Training staff, farmers, reelers, etc., as per specific needs.

For some of the schemes under implementation in Tamil Nadu, Central Silk Board is assisting the State by providing 50% of the funds required for the schemes.

Private sector involvement in Sericulture in TamilNadu About 20,165 farmers are practicing sericulture, cultivating 31,362 acres of mulberry. They are involved in the production of cocoons, the raw material for the production of silk. 6 Private grainages are functioning in the State to supply silkworm seed material to the Sericulturists. 22 Private Chawkie rearing centres are functioning in the state for supplying chawkie silkworm to the Sericulturists. About 1387 private silk reeling devices are functioning in the State. The private silk reeling entrepreneurs procure the cocoons produced by the Sericulturists through the Govt. Cocoon Markets in the State and produce raw silk. About 750 private silk twisting units are involved in the conversion of raw silk to ready silk which is used for weaving silk fabrics. About 1,00,000 handlooms are engaged in the production of sarees, dhoties, etc., in the State under private and co-operative fold.