Forward linkages, including an assured cocoon market, have pitchforked the reluctant Kerala farmer to mulberry cultivation, according to the latest figures.

Despite the state government desperately spinning scheme after scheme to win credibility for mulberry farming, the fact is that the Kerala State Sericulture Co-operative Federation's (Serifed) string of carrots is growing faster than the raw silk output.

However, with the government assuring marketing support at each district office, Kerala appears to have opened its account in south India's silk race. The acreage of mulberry, according to sources in Serifed, has shown a steady increase over the last two years. The consumption of Disease Free Layings (DFL) has gone up to 77,532 in 1996-97 and to 77,896 in 1997-98.

Raw silk production has increased from 130 tonnes to 155 tonnes in the same period. From 3200 acres in 1996-1997, theacreage has increased to 5300 acres.

The number of mulberry farmers has gone up from 5100 to 7900.The state government's target for the Ninth Five Year Plan is an ambitious 12,500 acres.

Serifed had identified the farmers' difficulty in marketing cocoon as one of the main reasons for the low priority for venturing into mulberry cultivation and cocoon production. However, the Federation, which took over sericulture operations from Kerala Khadi Board in 1994, started off by offering a bounty of subsidies for mulberry farming.

Starting with a fully subsidised supply of planting material, farmers are offered subsidies upto Rs 2,500 per acre as plantation assistance, Rs 300 as stipend for attending training programmes in silkworm rearing, Rs 7500 for building rearing sheds, Rs 4000 for equipment, Rs 8,800 for irrigation facilities in the plains and Rs 16,000 for irrigation facilities in the hilly area and Rs 5000 for demonstration plots. This is not all. The Federation, also offers production incentives atthe rate of Rs 5 a kg for cross-bred, multi-voltine cocoons and Rs 15 for bivoltine cocoons. Besides, there is a subsidy on interests above four percent on National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Nabard) loans.

The maximum subsidy a planter with one acre of mulberry plantation could get would go upto Rs 26,000 in the plains and Rs 34,000 in the hilly terrains.Serifed is also offering training programmes, support price , insurance scheme for silkworm crop, supply of saplings and subsidy for setting up reeling units.The biggest bait, according to Serifed sources, came with the captive market for cocoons. The Federation recently converted its district offices to marketing centres where the farmers can sell cocoons at reasonable prices. The Government offers a minimum support price for cocoons at Rs 100 a kilo for the next five years.

For supplementing the post-cocoon operations, the Federation, in collaboration with the Central Silk Board and the Institute of Handloom Textile Technology (IHTT)would soon set up a training centres in Kannur. The institute will provide technical assistance and training for taking up silk weaving.

As part of its forward linkage activities, Serifed is also in a shopping spree of sick silk reeling units. Serifed has revived two silk reeling units, in Kasargode and Alapuzha. Efforts are on for reviving a Harijan women unit in the co-operative sector at Puthussery and a sick private sector unit at Angamali. Another unit in Idukki district has already been revived under the Western Ghats Development Programme and this would be handed over to Serifed.