Development of sericulture in Jammu and Kashmir: processing challenges

The annual production volume of silkworm cocoons in the region ranges from 800 to 900 tons. This sector provides support to approximately 27,000 rural families. At the same time, the shortage of local reeling and subsequent cocoon processing capacities forces the sale of the bulk of the raw material to buyers and traders outside the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, including West Bengal. Such dependence deprives the region of the opportunity to process the material locally and generate income from products with a higher value.

The Sericulture Department advocates for the establishment of local reeling, twisting, and raw material processing enterprises in order to form a complete value chain from the cocoon to the finished fabric. According to the Director of the Sericulture Department of Jammu and Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, two reeling unit projects are under consideration — in Jammu and Anantnag. Following government approval, these enterprises may receive a subsidy of 90 percent. The development of domestic processing is also capable of supplying raw materials to other local industries, in particular the Kashmiri carpet industry, which frequently imports thrown silk.

Despite the favorable climate for producing high-quality bivoltine silk, the sector faces such difficulties as low productivity, lack of rearing facilities, and fluctuations in cocoon prices. Many producers still use their own homes for silkworms instead of specialized premises, and a gap also persists between the performance indicators of research institutes and the results of farmers. To improve quality and production volumes, the department considers it necessary to enhance technical support, mulberry plantings, seed, and silkworm breeds, as well as to expand the adoption of scientific methods, develop auction markets, digital marketing, and geographical indication for local silk.