A study on marketing and value addition of silk in Tamil Nadu

Sericulture is one of the important sectors of economy in India. It provides more employment,is labours intensive,requires low capital investment,has short conception period;is high profit oriented and less input indoor activity that gives frequent periodicity of high economic returns to the rural farm families. The present study focused on marketing and value addition of silk industry in Tamil Nadu. The data were collected from traditional area (Krishnagiri and Erode districts) and non-traditional area (Tiruppur and Dindigul districts) and 200 farmers were purposively cum randomly selected. Sample farmers obtained 84 kg per 100 DFLs and returns realized through sale of 2100 kg of cocoon @ Rs. 385/ kg was Rs.808500 in traditional area. Where as in non-traditional area, the yield was 85kg per 100 Dfls and were getting a return of Rs. 918000 through sale of 2550 kg @ Rs.360/kg. Benefit cost ratio was 1:2.46 and 1:2.34 in traditional and non- traditional areas respectively. To produce one kilogram of silk, it requires a total expenditure Rs. 1758.35 and 6.94 kg of cocoons and net return was Rs. 2498.40. The problems faced by the processing units was poor quality of cocoon , lack of good quality reeling water in all reeling units, scaricity of labour and high cost of labour. Majority of the respondents facing the problem of high transportation cost and drastic fluctuation in cocoon price as marketing constraints.