Sericulture in the taluk is undergoing a major shift with more and more growers opting for bivoltine technology.
The change in their choice was triggered by several aspects: ‘white silk’ from China securing major chunk of global market, export, subsidy and training given by the Sericulture Department.
Driving away fear
Farmers in the taluk were initially afraid to grow ‘bivoltine’. The department took several measures to dispel myths around the hybrid silkworms, which are generally said to be not suitable for the tropical conditions of India.
Last month, the department also arranged for them a study tour to Tamil Nadu where bivoltine silkworms are grown successfully despite high temperatures.
Taking a cue from the growers in the neighbouring State, Gopalagowda, a grower at Hittalahalli, has taken up cultivation of the bivoltine.
“There is a lot of difference between bivoltine silkworm species and the yellowish multivoltine silkworms. The bivoltine cocoons yields 1,500 metres against 900 metres from multivoltine cocoons. Sericulturists can compete with China which supplies ‘white silk’ in the international market,” he said.
Besides, 450 bivoltine silkworms have yielded 380 kg of cocoons, he said. Assistant director of the Sericulture department Shankarappa said the farmers get bivoltine silkworms from Bommashettahalli for the lowest price of Rs 1050 per kg. Besides, changing into the bivoltine technology would not be financially a burden for the growers as it requires no infrastructural changes. Besides, the department gives a subsidy of Rs 40 per kg to the growers, said Shankarappa.
Obstacles
The objective of encouraging the growers to adopt bivoltine technology is defeated by procedures the department has adopted to implement the project.
Taluk Raitha Sangha President Bhaktarahalli Byregowda said that 90 per cent of the growers in the taluk were not able to avail of the subsidy due to the ‘unscientific’ method of distributing it.
There are several riders to get subsidy of Rs 40 per kg: The subsidy facility can be availed for the cocoons that are grown only after August 15. The growers should have got an 60 kg and above for 100 eggs. The growers should produce a receipt given by the centre where they bought the eggs.
Details of the cultivation should be mentioned by the officers in the passbook given by the technical wing in the sericulture department. Passbooks should be attested by taluk-level assistant director of the sericulture department, extention officer and deputy director of the district sericulture department.
‘Verify quality’
Besides, the growers should have a savings account in a nationalised bank. The officers should verify the quality of cocoons brought to the market and mention the details in the pass book before depositing the subsidy amount to the growers’ account.
The growers will not get a subsidy in case of delays in any of these procedures, according to the notification issued by the government on July 23.
However, officials have not informed growers about the subsidy till they came to the market with the crop. A majority of growers have not been issued even pass books, Byregowda said.
Besides, the grower has to spend double the subsidy amount to follow the procedures, he said.