Siddapur (DHNS): Taluk Panchayat Member Vivek Subhray Bhat, on Monday, said although silk is very fragile cash crop, it, however, was more beneficial for farmers to take up sericulture farming, as it helps them in their economic development.

Addressing the Taluk-level seminar on Sericulture, Bhat said, due to lack of sufficient information on silk growing, earlier, farmers did not prefer silk farming. But lately, farmers have become much more open to sericulture and its practice as farming, and see it as a major source of income.

Encroached land

Sericulture Department officials, Bhat said, should take steps to provide government facilities to those practicing sericulture even on encroached land.

Sericulture Department Assistant Director Varalakshmi exhorted farmers to adopt new technologies in farming which will help them cultivate more than five crops in a year.

Kyadagi Gram Panchayat President P V Bhat said silk can be grown as a mixed crop along with other crops.

This indirectly helps farmers to enhance their income. One can contact silk growers and sericulture department for information regarding silk farming, he added.

Gram Panchayat Member Kusuma Gowda, Taluk Panchayat Member Sudheer Gowdar and other officials participated in the meet, jointly organised by Zilla Panchayat, Taluk Panchayat and Siddapur Sericulture Department at Gonavatti, under Kyadagi Gram Panchayat.