Sericulture Department

Sericulture is one of the important Rural Agriculture based industry.  The main objective of this department is to provide employment and financial assistance to the backward communities, landless labourers.  On an average thirteen(13) people are provided employment for a period of one year per hectare of mulberry cultivation.  Sericulture is involved in two different activities:-

• Raising of Mulberry Saplings

• Rearing of Silk Worms

The district has 258 Seri culturists  who are growing mulberry in 155 villages covering an extent of 109.02 hectares.

Silk worm rearing is carried out in specially designed sheds.  The worms will produce cocoons in 24 to 27 days.  

Schemes of the Department

• The field staff of the department will visit the mulberry gardens and silkworm rearing of the farmers at village level and guide them to adopt new technologies beside precautionary measures to be taken up to get better yield of mulberry leaves and silkworm cocoon crops. The good farmer's techniques will be demonstrated vide publicity and exhibitions for familiarizing among other Seri culturists at large.  The technical training to the women folklore in adopting improved methods of mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing helps in better yield of cocoon crops thereby increasing their income.

• The Sericulture Department is taking care of the bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoan diseases that could spoil the mulberry and silkworms.  As a precautionary measure, the department is spraying bleaching powder solution and such other bacterial, viral and fungal controlling chemicals to the silkworm rearing equipments and rearing houses of the Seri culturists, - the process which is called 'DIS-INFECTION' before and after rearing of each crop by the farmer.  This helps the farmer to protect the crop from the invisible infections and yields better cocoon crop which improves his financial position.

• Since India has to compete with China in production of international standard Bivoltine silk, the department is popularizing growing of Bivoltine variety of silk worms which are high yielding.  To encourage Bivoltine rearing, the department is giving incentives like - disinfectants at the cost of the department, training in adopting new technologies, introduction of high yielding varieties of mulberry as well as silkworm races etc., to promote high production of Bivoltine variety of International quality silk in Karnataka.

• Independent Disinfectable silkworm rearing house preferably near the mulberry garden is a must to get good Cocoon crop by every farmer. The sericulture department is assisting the farmers in building silkworm rearing sheds under different schemes viz., District Sector, SCP,   9th Five Year Plan - Direct assistance etc.

• The shoot rearing system is a new technology which reduces the labor component in adult silkworm rearing whereas it needs more space for silk worm rearing. To popularize this system, the department is assisting farmers in constructing of spacious silkworm rearing houses by providing subsidy.

• 1994 - Year of Women in Sericulture was declared and more than 60% of the Seri cultural activities are being carried out by the rural women. The Sericulture department has constructed Women Demonstration Farms in all the districts of the state to provide practical training in sericulture to the rural women who are involved in sericulture there by they could get better Cocoon crops which improves their economic status.

For Further details Please contact :

The Deputy Director,

Sericulture, Behind Z.P.Office Building,

K.M.Road, Chickmagalur - 577 102

Ph. 08262 -  220007