Role of Sericulturists in the Development of a Village

Abstract

Sericulture has become one of the important means of livelihood for the majority of the farmers in South India, especially in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Karnataka, known as the ‘Silk Bowl of India’, occupies the top spot in producing mulberry silk in the country. Andhra Pradesh comes second in mulberry silk production in the country. Both these states have fiercely competed in mulberry silk production, which is a good sign for the sericulturists of these states. It is argued here that the implementation of new schemes in sericulture practice, post Green Revolution, has brought about the overall development of Kotha Indlu, a South Indian village that has become a ‘model village’ in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is further suggested that the fruits of the Green Revolution are not restricted to any one section of the village: all sections of the village have benefited equally, thereby contributing to the overall development of the village.