To create a bridge between sericulture farmers and all other stakeholders and introduce the latest skills and rearing technologies in sericulture farming, the State government has decided to help in the formation of Sericulture Farmers Produce Sanghas under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) from this year.
Official sources told The Hindu in Kalaburagi city on Thursday that on a pilot basis five such sanghas would be constituted to give a fillip to the sericulture movement, increase the quality production of silk in the State and improve the marketing avenues for sericulture farmers.
The government will provide a financial assistance of Rs. 14 lakh to each of the five sanghas.
Three sanghas will be in South Karnataka districts, and two in North Karnataka. T
he sanghas would establish linkages between sericulture farmers and other stakeholders including warehouses, cooperatives, silk weavers and traders to provide better marketing facilities; recommend the correct mixture of fertilizers and pesticides in case of pest attacks; help in the mechanisation of sericulture farming; introduce improved silk weaving methodologies; and extend loan facilities to the member-farmers.
Each sangha would have 50 groups and each group would have at least 25 members. Every month the sanghas would convene a meeting of the groups and discuss the sericulture activities in their respective region.
The sanghas would also prepare a list of farmers to be trained for upscaling their skills.

Source : The Hindu