Silk production in state coming down: Hibi Eden

KOCHI: Hibi Eden MLA has said that the state's share in silk production was coming down. He was inaugurating Silk Mark Expo2011 here on Tuesday."Kerala has been reduced to a consumer state in silk production also. While it is one of the largest consumers of silk products in the country, Kerala's share in silk production is less than one per cent. On the other hand, Karnataka produces around 50 per cent of national output. Sericulturists are facing challenges owing to the largescale import of lowquality silk from China", Hibi Eden said."The Silk Mark assures that a particular cloth is authentic silk. Silk is a cloth where there is a lot of duplication. Moreover, it is difficult to differentiate between pure silk and duplicates. We have Silk Mark testing laboratories for customers to check the authenticity of silk," Silk Mark of India CEO S K Menon said.He highlighted the role of silk expos in furthering rural development. "The silk sector has over seven million people, including farmers, weavers and other workers.Though silk production is based in rural areas, the buyers are located in urban areas. Silk expos will help farmers sell silk directly to the consumers in cities," Menon said.The expo showcases silk products, including sarees, salwars, bags and other accessories. Golden silk from northeast states, Kancheepuram silk, Banarasi silk, silk from Mysore, Vanya silk, Mulberry silk and Tasar silk are available at the expo.The expo will be held for 6 days at the Gokulam Park Hotel. This is the fourth time the Silk Mark expo is being held in the state. The expo will be held in 21 locations across the country.