Silkworm farming unravels as heat hits mulberry cultivation in Tiruchi

Moriculture, cultivation of mulberry for the purpose of rearing silkworms or sericulture, has seen a steady decline in Tiruchi district this year due to the hot weather and water shortage, forcing many farmers to switch over to other crops until the rain brings some relief

Moriculture, cultivation of mulberry for the purpose of rearing silkworms or sericulture, has seen a steady decline in Tiruchi district this year due to the hot weather and water shortage, forcing many farmers to switch over to other crops until the rain brings some relief.

Senior officials of the Department of Sericulture in Tiruchi told The Hindu that water scarcity has adversely affected mulberry growers. “At least 1,200 acres are under mulberry cultivation in the district, but farmers are unable to sustain the crop because of the hot and dry weather. At least 600 farms in Thottiyam, Thuraiyur, Musiri, Manapparai, Lalgudi, Tiruverumbur, and Manachanallur are affected,” an official said.

Things are in dire state at MSR Farm in Alampatti-Pudur, Manapparai, where nearly half of the 200 silkworms set for moulting have died in the onset of summer. “We normally get around 160 kg of cocoons a month, but due to the heat, the yield has come down to 40 kg. The cocoon is not as dense in texture, which will naturally lower its market value,” said farmer R. Senthilkumar.

The third generation farmer had been involved in moriculture for over 15 years, switching over from crops like groundnut and sugarcane to mulberry.

His wife Jayalakshmi was honoured by the Union Ministry of Textiles in 2013-2014 for harvesting 2,241 kg of cocoons, on two acres of high-yielding V1 and bivoltine mulberry.

Infestation by bugs had spoilt the mulberry leaves, said Mr. Senthilkumar. “We cannot spray pesticides on the mulberry leaves because they are meant to feed the silkworms. Because of these challenges, we have shifted to farming paddy and millets for the time-being,” he said.

Tamil Nadu was the fourth largest producer of raw silk in 2023, with a volume of 1,886 tonnes, according to a survey published by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.