The Hindu : Karnataka News : Silk industry likely to get more funds

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 13, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Silk industry likely to get more funds

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, SEPT. 12. The Union Minister of State for Planning, M.V. Rajashekaran, said on Sunday that the Centre would soon make suitable policy changes to enable allocation of more funds for research and development in silk industry.

Participating in the valedictory function of a seminar on "Improvement of cocoon quality for quality silk yarn" organised by the Regional Sericultural Research Station and the Karnataka State Silkworm Seed Producers' Trust here, Mr. Rajashekaran said the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, had stated this at a meeting of the Planning Commission.

Several Ministers, including Lalu Prasad, had requested the Planning Commission to allocate more funds for rural development, and research and development in all fields. The Prime Minister had promised that suitable policy changes would be made in this regard, he added.

Boost

Considering that Karnataka had favourable agro-climatic conditions for sericulture, the silk industry in the State would be given a boost, he said.

The Member-Secretary of the Central Silk Board, P. Joy Oommen, said fabric manufacturers had sought anti-dumping duty on Chinese silk fabric entering the country.

"We have filed a petition before the Director General of Anti-Dumping to impose anti-dumping duty on Chinese silk fabric. We are expecting a favourable decision soon. This will be of great help to silk weavers, reelers, and farmers," he added.

Duty

Stating that the duty was essential to promote the silk industry, Mr. Oommen said it was a major demand put forth by fabric manufacturers. Pointing out that Karnataka alone had the capacity to surpass the silk production of China and other countries, Mr. Oommen said improving the quality of yarn would help prevent import of silk from China.

Earlier, Mr. Rajashekaran felicitated Mr. Oommen for his contribution to the modernisation of the sericulture sector and ensuring better price to sericulturists for their produce.

The Director of the Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute (CSR& TI), Mysore, S.B. Dandin, said the seminar aimed at creating awareness among sericulturists on modern sericulture to produce better quality bivoltine cocoons. As bivoltine silk was in great demand, its production should be increased, he added.

The former Vice-Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences, R. Dwarakinath, said silk production in southern States could be increased.

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