India has shown increasing trend in production of silk over the years. However, there is a marginal shortfall in silk production achievement against the targets set for silk production.
According to India’s textile Ministry, the main reasons for marginal shortfall in production is urbanisation in traditional silk producing States and deficient/erratic rain fall.
As per information released by the ministry on 13th December, the details of silk production against the target during last three years are as follows;
| Year | Target (MT) | Achievement (MT) | % achievement |
| 2016-17 | 32000 | 30348 | 94.8 |
| 2017-18 | 33840 | 31906 | 94.3 |
| 2018-19 | 35960 | 35468 | 98.6 |
Details of funds allocated for production of silk during the last three years and the current year are as follows;
(in Rs. crore)
| Scheme | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 |
| Silk Samagra | 154.01 | 161.50 | 120.00 | 181.00 |
| North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme | 230.78 | 232.27 | 65.72 | 124.98 |
Silk Cocoons being an agriculture- based commodity, a number of factors such as climate (rainfall, drought), pest and disease incidences (which affect the production and quality of cocoon), demand for silk products and international prices of silk affect the cocoon prices.
As marketing of cocoon and raw silk comes under the State list, some States provide price incentive to farmers for their cocoon produce (through regulated cocoon markets), whenever there is a fluctuation in cocoon prices.
The traditional silk producing States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal follow open auctions between farmers and the reelers.
The marketing of these commodities is purely done by the State
