India Government Takes Measures To Expand Silk Production

India is the second largest silk producing country in the world, and the silk industry is one of the main pillars of India's national economy.

The government of India recognizes the importance of the silk industry and decides to develop four silk products through special arrangements during the fourteenth plan period (end of 2012).

At present, the annual demand of India's silk industry is about 26000 tons, and at the same time, it imports about 5500 tons from China to meet the gap between supply and demand.

Officials of the Central Silk Commission (CSB), the highest quality agency in India's silk industry, said the government plans to raise the production of silk from the current 18475 tons to 26000 tons by 2012.

The four varieties are concentrated in mulberry silk, tussah silk, castor silk and amber silk.

CSB is currently implementing the "contact reaction development plan" (CDP). Some of the focused response programmes have been used to develop silkworm business, including the development of mulberry industries in traditional and non-traditional areas.

According to the CDP plan, each state government has allocated 307 million 600 thousand rupees special funds.

CSB also suggested that 40 silkworms and silk clusters should be built in different regions in 2008-09, including mulberry silk and wild silk.

The Committee believes that the cluster silkworm breeding base is conducive to increasing production and reducing production costs, and it is easier for the government to provide necessary facilities for silkworm farmers.

CSB is also committed to promoting the production of two oriented silk. In the fourteenth year of the fourteenth plan, the output of two silkworm silk increased from 1200 tons to 5000 tons.

(Jia Xiao)