The New Indian Express ·
Thrissur college weaving a campus brand in silk
KOCHI: Sericulture? And on a college campus? Vimala College in Thrissur has done it. In what can be called a first-of-its-kind initiative, the college has launched a ‘startup’, V-Weave, in which students engage in every aspect of silk production. Feebarani John, the zoology department head and the originator of V-Weave, told TNIE that the initiative was launched after thorough market studies.
“It was found that over the years the number of people engaging in sericulture was gradually going down. However, sericulture is one initiative that brings in good money -- a kilo of cocoons sells for around Rs 750 -- at minimal effort,” said the professor.
Sericulture in Keralam is primarily restricted to small cluster units in the districts of Idukki, Wayanad and Palakkad. In Idukki alone, the number of registered or active silk farmers dropped sharply from around 1,000 down to roughly 70 in recent years.
