Tamil Nadu: Despair-hit farmers burn silkworms

CHENNAI: Hit by the despair of suffering heavy losses due to poor-quality silkworm eggs and weak larvae, which severely affected cocoon production, sericulture farmers in Dindigul district have resorted to the extreme step of burning silkworms that failed to spin cocoons.

Mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing are key sources of livelihood for farmers in Palani, Ayakudi, Kanakkampatti, Sathirapatti, Thalaiyuthu, Thoppampatti, and Shanarpatti. Despite facing climatic challenges in recent years, farmers have continued cocoon production in the hope of sustaining their income.

This season, however, farmers said substandard eggs and underdeveloped young silkworms have resulted in poor cocoon formation, leading to a sharp decline in production and mounting financial losses, said a Daily Thanthi report.

BURNING THE SILKWORMS

In Kanakkampatti near Palani, a farmer was forced to dump silkworms that failed to produce cocoons after suffering significant production losses. Similar incidents have been reported from other cocoon-producing areas, where farmers have either discarded the worms or burned them as they could no longer be reared.

Farmers said the current setback is largely due to the poor quality of silkworm eggs and larvae rather than prevailing summer temperatures.

They have urged officials of the central and State Sericulture Departments to inspect the affected farms, identify the reasons behind the failure of the worms to develop properly, and provide technical assistance to prevent further losses.

They have also appealed to the authorities to revise the existing insurance scheme to provide better protection against production failures and financial distress.