Sericulture farmers and reelers, under different farmers’ organisations, staged a protest near the office of the Deputy Director of Sericulture at Chadulapura on the outskirts of Chickballapur on Saturday.
However, the traffic on the busy NH7 was not affected as the police diverted the vehicles to another route.
Farmers condemned the slash in import duty on raw silk and demanded that it be restored to the original 31.5 per cent to save the sericulture sector in the State.
Functionaries of Reshme Krishi Hitarakshana Vedike, Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene participated in the agitation.
The cut in import duty has resulted in slew of foreign silk to India inconveniencing to domestic farmers, KPRS leader C. Gopinath said.
The leaders said that families, dependent on sericulture sector, are in crisis as prices of silk cocoons collapsed to around Rs. 120 to Rs. 250 from the Rs. 450 to Rs. 550 six months ago.
June 22 deadline
Staff Correspondent from Mandya writes:
Setting June 22 as the deadline for the State government to fulfil the demands of sericulture farmers, KRRS members have warned of launching an indefinite agitation if the demands were not met. The KRRS members have threatened to block the Bengaluru–Mysuru highway in front of the Government Cocoon Market in Ramanagaram on June 22.
