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The Karnataka Government on Friday said it planned to take another all-party delegation to the Centre to demand withdrawal of customs duty cut on imported silk and seek a ban on its import from China to help farmers in the State, who have been hit by crash in prices.
“The Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, will soon lead an all-party delegation to the Centre to seek restoration of customs duty on imported silk to the earlier level of 30 per cent, instead of five per cent being levied now,” the Minister for Sericulture and Labour, Mr B.N. Bacche Gowda, told a press conference here.
Prices slump
Consequent to lowering the customs duty from 30 to five per cent, prices of raw silk and cocoons have slumped in Karnataka, causing severe hardship to growers as more Chinese silk was entering the market, he said.
Karnataka accounts for about 60 per cent of silk production in the country.
Mr Yeddyurappa had led an all party delegation to Delhi on March 21 to meet the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, with a similar demand and had also called on the Union Finance and Agriculture Ministers.
The Government has so far released Rs 17 crore for market intervention by Karnataka Silk Marketing Board and the Chief Minister has promised to release another Rs 10 crore on June 13 to arrest the fall in raw silk and cocoon prices, Mr Gowda said.
After the Government's intervention, prices of cocoons have stabilised at Rs 200-240 a kg and Rs 1,800-2,000/kg of raw silk yarn, he said.
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