Agribusiness potential of sericulture in Karnataka

Abstract

Sericulture is a cottage based industry which combines both the features of agriculture and industry. India has tremendous\rpotential for silk development but yet unexploited, however, development is not far away. It is one of the major employment\rgenerating sectors in the state and its growth has immense employment generation potential, particularly in rural Karnataka.\rThis studyis an attempt to analyze the agribusiness potential of sericulture in Karnataka. The study explored that there is a\rhuge improvement in area, production and also employment from 2008-09 to 2015-16. The cultivated area was only 177943\rhectares in 2008-09, which has improved over the years and has reached 208947 hectares in 2015-16 with a compound annual\rgrowth rate of 2 per cent. Similarly, the production in Karnataka was also increased from 5949MT in 2003-04 to 9645MT in\r2014-15 with CAGR of 4 per cent. 27 per cent of the families of Karnataka are contributing to the total families engaged in\rIndian sericulture industry. In the year 2014-15, earnings from export were about Rs.2829.94 crore but it was reduced to\rRs.2495.99 crore in the year 2015-16. The import earnings during the year 2015-16 was Rs.1389.10 crore. Hence, it is revealed\rfrom the study that sericulture has a very high employment potential. It is the biggest employer in the country only next to\rhandloom industry. It is ideally suited to generate jobs in the rural areas and particularly in the drought prone areas.Sericulture\rgains added importance in the context of growing unemployment, both disguised and seasonal. Most of the farmers in India\rare poor and are not employed throughout the year. Sericulture can provide subsidiary employment to such farmers and\raugment their in comes.