05-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Karnataka, a leading silk producer in India now aims to export cocoons to South East Asian countries
BENGALURU: Karnataka is the leader in production of silk sarees and other silk materials in the country, but it will now take the lead in exporting silk cocoons, which are consumed in North-Eastern states and South East Asian countries as they are a rich source of protein.
India has seen the opportunity early and found that the demand for silk cocoons is rising from countries where tourism is their primary source of income, like Singapore and other South East Asian countries.
'India is one of the largest silk producers, and Karnataka is the leader. Silk cocoons from here can be supplied to other countries where the demand is rising. We are working on keeping the cocoons alive after reeling the silk so that they can be exported.
Already, the dead pupa, after reeling, is dried, powdered and exported. It is also fed to dogs as a protein supplement,' Member Secretary and CEO, Central Silk Board (CSB), Sivakumar Periyasamy, said.
R&D is on to keep the pupa alive and documents are being prepared on the modalities for silk extraction from live pupa. In the North-East, eri silk pupa is consumed and in cities like Dimapur in Nagaland, it is sold at Rs 700-1,200 a kg.
Consumption of silk cocoons is legal in other countries, and is a traditional practice in North-East India. The demand for mulberry silk cocoons is rising and since Karnataka leads in mulberry silk material production, it is the best place to source cocoon from.
