Drought hits mulberry yield in Karnataka by about 50%
Farmers in Karnataka are reporting a 50% reduction in mulberry yields due to a combination of drought conditions and increased pest infestations. The Department of Sericulture has advised the use of neem oil to mitigate the impact of mites and thrips.
Why it matters
The decline in mulberry production directly threatens the livelihoods of silk farmers and impacts the regional agricultural economy.
Around 50% of the mulberry yield in Karnataka has been impacted owing to the thrips and mites attack during the drought, farmers and officials of the Department of Sericulture said.
While the department is yet to technically assess the extent of loss of plants and silk cocoons, farmers across the silk belt have complained that the dry spell and reduced greenery have increased thrips ( Pseudodendrothrips mori ) and mites (such as the yellow mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus ) across all their fields, reducing the yield by about half.
According to officials, farmers in Karnataka can typically harvest five to six silk cocoon crops per year under tropical irrigated conditions. The total mulberry area is spread over more than one lakh hectares, and the silk production is recorded at 13,275 tonnes on average every year. Chikkaballapura, Kolar, Ramanagara and Mandya top the list in sericulture.
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