Sericulture changed this farmer's life

At a time when farmers in Kadur taluk are worried over drought, here is a farmer who has been fetching profit by growing melberry.

Lakshmayya has grown melberry in his five acre land and has been engaged in sericulture. He has fetched Rs 10 lakh profit and is a model for the rest of the farmers.

He had incurred huge loss when he started growing vegetables.

Later, he started chicken farm. However, he did not succeed in it. Finally, it was sericulture which gave him stability. “After incurring loss, we decided to go for sericulture. Now, we are pretty  content with life,” said Lakshmayya’s son Ravikumar.

“The officials from sericulture department gave us guidance before our venture,” he said.  
 “In commercial cultivation, the mulberry garden is generally established through stem cuttings. After planting, fertilisers (jeevamrutha) must be applied. Irrigation must be provided immediately after planting.

If the plants are watered through drip irrigation, then mulberry leaves will be ready for plucking within four months. By applying jeevamrutha, no diseases will affect the plants,” he added.

He said “we have constructed a shelter for rearing silkworms. All the 12 family members work unitedly. For 250 to 300 silk worms mulberry leaves grown in one acre should be fed. From 100 eggs, one can get 60 to 80 kg silk. One kg of silk fetches Rs 250 to Rs 400.”

 “We purchase silkworm eggs from Mysore, Hassan. The leaves should be plucked through rotation system to get leaves throughout the year. The sericulture department had given saplings free of cost. It had given us a financial assistance of Rs 4,150 for taking up planting in two hectare.

A sum of Rs 37,500 was given for taking up drip irrigation in one hectare. In fact, the sericulture department also gives a financial assistance of Rs 75,000 for constructing shelter for silkworms,” says the family members.