Lok Sabha Question No. 4240 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-13
Subject: Growth of Silk Production
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Soyam Babu Rao, Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4240

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.12.2019

## GROWTH OF SILK PRODUCTION

## 4240.  SHRI SOYAM BAPU RAO: SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंरी

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has not achieved the targets set for silk production;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) the details of export of silk and its products during the said period, countrywise  and  foreign  exchange  earned  therefrom  along  with  the  names  of exporting countries;
- (d) the amount of funds allocated by the Government for the production of silk during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to take steps to ensure price stabilization of cocoons to protect the silk growers, if so, the details thereof;
- (f) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  the  interest  of  the  silk producers; and
- (g) whether the Government proposes to take steps to ensure price stabilization of cocoons to protect the silk growers, if so, the details thereof ?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER

## वस्त्र मंरी ( श्रीमती स्मृ तत ज़ूबिन इरानी )

MINISTER OF TEXTILES (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) & (b): The  details  of  silk  production  against  the  target  during  last  three years are given below:

| Year    |   Target (MT) |   Achievement (MT) |   % achievement |
|---------|---------------|--------------------|-----------------|
| 2016-17 |         32000 |              30348 |            94.8 |
| 2017-18 |         33840 |              31906 |            94.3 |
| 2018-19 |         35960 |              35468 |            98.6 |

There is a marginal shortfall in achievement against the targets set for silk production. However, the country has shown increasing trend in production of silk over the years. The main reasons for marginal shortfall in production is urbanisation  in  traditional  silk  producing  States  and  deficient/erratic  rain fall.

(c): The  details  of  export  earnings  from  silk  goods  and  country-wise  foreign exchange earned for last three years are given below:

## Export earnings from silk during 2016-17 to 2018-19

| Items              | 2016-17      | 2016-17    | 2017-18      | 2017-18    | 2018-19      | 2018-19    |
|--------------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|
| Items              | in Rs. crore | in Mn.US $ | in Rs. crore | in Mn.US $ | in Rs. crore | in Mn.US $ |
| Cocoons            | 0.32         | 0.05       | 0.05         | 0.01       | 0.01         | 0.002      |
| Raw Silk           | 0.44         | 0.07       | -            | -          | 1.36         | 0.19       |
| Silk Yarn          | 14.57        | 2.17       | 15.61        | 2.42       | 23.34        | 3.35       |
| Fabrics & Made-ups | 1051.65      | 156.80     | 864.81       | 134.18     | 1022.43      | 145.85     |
| Readymade Garments | 864.33       | 128.87     | 650.48       | 100.93     | 742.27       | 107.30     |
| Silk Carpet        | 63.78        | 9.51       | 17.34        | 2.69       | 113.09       | 16.11      |
| Silk waste         | 98.33        | 14.66      | 101.19       | 15.70      | 129.38       | 18.56      |
| TOTAL              | 2093.42      | 312.13     | 1649.48      | 255.93     | 2031.89      | 291.36     |

## Country wise export earnings from silk goods during 2016-17 to 2018-19

|    |             | 2016-17      | 2016-17    | 2017-18      | 2017-18    | 2018-19      | 2018-19    |
|----|-------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|
| #  | Country     | in Rs. crore | in Mn.US $ | in Rs. crore | in Mn.US $ | in Rs. crore | in Mn.US $ |
| 1  | U Arab Emts | 546.31       | 81.45      | 376.96       | 58.49      | 372.76       | 53.72      |
| 2  | U S A       | 263.85       | 39.34      | 218.26       | 33.87      | 372.66       | 53.07      |
| 3  | U K         | 128.39       | 19.14      | 131.81       | 20.45      | 107.39       | 15.39      |
| 4  | China P Rep | 89.17        | 13.30      | 78.56        | 12.19      | 102.12       | 14.60      |
| 5  | Sudan       | 46.63        | 6.95       | 41.33        | 6.41       | 97.68        | 14.20      |
| 6  | Nigeria     | 43.52        | 6.49       | 52.62        | 8.16       | 96.37        | 13.74      |
| 7  | Germany     | 107.78       | 16.07      | 63.08        | 9.79       | 72.25        | 10.29      |
| 8  | France      | 78.61        | 11.72      | 57.23        | 8.88       | 67.24        | 9.58       |
| 9  | Australia   | 46.07        | 6.87       | 45.12        | 7.00       | 60.55        | 8.58       |
| 10 | Italy       | 73.72        | 10.99      | 53.35        | 8.28       | 57.78        | 8.22       |
|    | Others      | 669.37       | 99.80      | 531.17       | 82.42      | 625.09       | 89.97      |
|    | Total       | 2093.42      | 312.13     | 1649.48      | 255.93     | 2031.89      | 291.36     |

- (d): Funds allocated for production of silk during the last three years and the current year is given below:

( in Rs. crore)

| Scheme                                     |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |
|--------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Silk Samagra                               |    154.01 |    161.5  |    120    |    181    |
| North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme |    230.78 |    232.27 |     65.72 |    124.98 |

- (e): Silk Cocoons being an agriculture based commodity, a number of factors such as climate (rainfall, drought), pest and disease incidences (which affect the production and quality of cocoon), demand for silk products and international prices  of  silk  affect  the  cocoon  prices.    As  marketing  of  cocoon  and  raw  silk comes under the State list,  some  States  provide  price  incentive  to  farmers  for their  cocoon  produce  (through  regulated  cocoon  markets), whenever there is  a fluctuation in cocoon prices. The traditional silk producing States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal follow open auctions between farmers and the reelers. The marketing of these commodities is purely done by the State.
- (f): Steps taken by the Government through the Central Silk Board to protect the interest of the silk producers is at Annexure.

(g): Same as mentioned in part (e) above.

## Annexure

## Steps taken to protect the interest of the silk producers

- i. CSB through a restructured Central Sector Scheme 'Silk Samagra' and 38 projects  under  North  East  Region  Textile  Promotion  Scheme  (NERTPS) protects  the  interests  of  the  farmers  by  supporting  through  beneficiary oriented  components  like,  raising  of  Kissan  Nursery,  Plantation  with improved  Mulberry  varieties,  Irrigation,  Chawki  rearing  centres  with incubation  facility,  Construction  of  rearing  houses,  Rearing  equipments, Door to door service agents for disinfection.
- ii. Strengthened  Research  &  Development  system  to  improve  the  levels  of cocoon  production  and  productivity  to  develop  improved  mulberry/host plant  varieties,  silkworm  hybrids  and  technology  packages  to  minimize drudgery.
- iii. For  production  of  3A-4A  grade  raw  Silk  from  the  bivoltine  cocoons, Automatic Reeling Machines (ARM) have been established in the country.
- iv. Central Silk Board and State Governments mobilize additional funds for sericulture  development  through  convergence  by  availing  the  schemes such  as  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act (MGNREGA), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) being implemented by various other Ministries of Govt of India.
- v. The  basic  customs  duty  of  10%  &  20%  is  levied  on  raw  silk  and  silk fabric import respectively. This makes the domestic silk weaving market segment  stronger  and  also  makes  Indian  silk  export  sector  highly competitive.

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