Sericulture is a tool for the economic growth of marginal farmers with special reference to the Jalgoan District, Maharashtra

What the paper says

Silk is the most luxurious and artistically beautiful fabric available. When it comes to both the production and consumption of silk, India is ranked second in the world. Because it is the single largest importer of silk products, it is dependent on a significant quantity of raw silk to satisfy its domestic demand. There are only four types of natural silk that are grown in India: Mulberry, Eri, Tasar, and Mulberry. India is the only country that grows all four varieties of natural silk, making it a unique country in this regard. Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jammu Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu are the states that provide the highest quality raw materials for the production of silk. Mulberry silk is a product that India is famous for producing in copious quantities. These states are also known as traditional sericulture states. Maharashtra is a non-traditional state and ranked second among non-traditional states of silk-producing states in India. Chawki Rearing is considered to be a crucial step in the sericulture process. It has an enormous impact on the yield as well as the quality of silk produced. Enhanced cocoon yield, improved silkworm health, and increased efficiency are just a few of the advantages of this strategy. Investment in manpower, infrastructure, and disease management is also necessary to attain the economic sustainability of chawki raising, according to this study. For chawki farming to be successful, it is essential to have access to cutting-edge technology, to adopt effective strategies for disease prevention, and to make use of economies of scale to reduce expenses per unit and boost profitability. For small-scale farmers, in particular, government policies, subsidies, and technical assistance are essential to making chawki rearing profitable. Centralized chawki rearing centres (CRCs) and cooperative models have demonstrated promise in distributing expenses and providing farmers with access to premium silkworms, thereby increasing the overall efficiency of silk production. Chawki raising is not without its difficulties, but it may be a lucrative endeavour with proper preparation, investment in technology, and the use of industry best practices. Sericulture producers can increase their income and the quality of their silk by adding chawki rearing as a specialist part of the industry. In the future, research and legislation should be directed toward the development of improved methods for the rearing of chawki and support networks to increase the profitability of this particularly significant stage in the silk value chain.