| The SSC is a wing of the National Silkworm Seed Organisation (NSSO), which works under the Central Silk Board. |
| Rao told Business Standard that the Vijayawada SSC, which had helped farmers at every stage of cocoon rearing, retained its number one place among 20 such centres operating in Andhra Pradesh, and third place in south India in the supply of eggs to farmers. |
| As against the target of 4 lakh layings (silkworm eggs), the Vijayawada SSC supplied 5.5 lakh layings to the farmers in 2005-06. In 2004-05, the centre supplied 4 lakh layings. |
| The SSC brought silkworm eggs from its research station located at Chittoor and sold them to farmers at Rs 250 per 100 eggs. In fact, the centre had supplied 10-day-old silkworm larvae to farmers in 2005-06. Farmers fed these larvae with mulberry for 25 days and reaped cocoons (pupae) weighing 60 kg from them, thus collecting 10 harvests of cocoons in the year. |
| Two silkworm cultures that have become popular in the coastal and north Andhra Pradesh are "� PMxCSR2 (yellow) and CSR2xCSR4 (white). The first variety is commonly reared in all seasons of the year, while the second one, which is superior in quality and also costs more, is reared during October-February only. |
| The common yellow variety, preferred by local markets, fetches Rs 120-150 per kg at current market rates. Special quality white cocoons, meant for powerlooms and reeling machines, get Rs 150-200 per kg. Once the cocoons are ripe, farmers sell them at the famous Hanuman Junction and Bangalore markets. |
| "The SSC experts, while transferring sericulture technology from lab to field, help farmers control quality and monitor rearing of silkworm culture till cocoons are fully grown," he said, adding, "Sericulture is risk-free and a regular income-generating occupation, provided farmers bear an initial investment of Rs 1 lakh per two acres for installing cocoon rearing houses." |
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