Indian Journal of Agricultural Marketing

Silk cocoon reeling is an important non-farm agribusiness activity in Chikkaballapur district.Type of cocoon, reeling method and quality of water are the determinants of silk yarn prices. The silk yarn from sidlaghatta taluk of the district is famous for superior quality and sheen. Reeling technology has undergone several developments over the years with the goal of improving silk production’s effectiveness, quality, and sustainability. This paper provides an in-depth overview of the latest advancements in reeling technology, covering both traditional methods and novative approaches.For this study the data was collected through primary survey from 25 reeling units situated in sidhlaghata taluk. Automatic reeling(ARM) is a new concept in the study area which is progressing in low pace.Therefore a comparision of ARM and popular filature reeling units was undertaken by considering 5 ARM and 20 filature reeling units. From the results it is evident that automatic reeling units had highest production capacity, of up to 60 kg of silk per day as campared to filature reeling units producing 4- 9 kg and ARM saves 50 per cent of labour utilization. Filature reelers incurred total expenditure of Rs. 6,17,812 per month and gross income realized was of Rs. 7,47,065 yielding a net income of Rs. 1,29,246 and benefit cost ratio of 1.21. Automatic reeling unit reelers recorded a B:C ratio of 1.42 by incuring Rs. 39,29,679 cost and gross income realized was Rs. 55,86,197. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of these processes, silk producers can make informed decisions about the most suitable method for their specific needs. The paper explores the key developments that have revolutionized the silk industry, as well as the challenges associated with various silk reeling techniques over time.