Coimbatore cocoon arrivals drop 30-40% as water crisis hits Tamil Nadu sericulture
Synopsis
Cocoon arrivals in Coimbatore have collapsed 30-40% in three months, mulberry acreage has halved from 1,200 to 500 acres, and borewell depths have nearly doubled in parts of Tiruppur — a triple blow that is derailing Tamil Nadu sericulture's fragile post-pandemic recovery just as farmers had begun returning to the sector.
Key Takeaways
Cocoon arrivals at the Coimbatore government cocoon market have fallen 30–40% over the past three months from a daily average of 1.5 tonnes .
Auction prices surged to ₹820–₹850 per kg last week before easing to around ₹750 .
Mulberry acreage has more than halved — from roughly 1,200 acres to approximately 500 acres .
Borewell water levels near Avinashi, Tiruppur district , have reportedly dropped from 500 feet to nearly 1,000 feet in one year.
Cocoon yield per DFL has fallen from about 1 kg to 600 grams ; a batch of 75 DFLs now produces only around 45 kg .
The downturn has interrupted a post- Covid-19 recovery, with the El Niño effect cited for drought-like conditions.
Sericulture farmers in the Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu are grappling with a sharp decline in cocoon output as water scarcity and high temperatures disrupt mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing, sending prices at the government cocoon market surging. The crisis has arrived just as the sector was finding its footing after the Covid-19 pandemic set it back.
Scale of the Decline
Arrivals at the Coimbatore government cocoon market have fallen by 30 to 40 per cent over the past three months, against an earlier daily average of roughly 1.5 tonnes. The supply squeeze has pushed auction prices to ₹820–₹850 per kilogram last week before they eased to approximately ₹750 in recent days. The Coimbatore facility is one of nearly 18 government cocoon markets operating across Tamil Nadu.
Mulberry Acreage Contracts by Half
The deeper structural wound lies in mulberry cultivation — the foundation of silkworm rearing. Acreage under mulberry has more than halved, shrinking from around 1,200 acres to approximately 500 acres, weakening the sector's entire production base. With irrigation becoming increasingly difficult, farmers have scaled back on even larger holdings.
The extended rainfall deficit, attributed to the El Niño effect, has created drought-like conditions. In one farm near Avinashi in Tiruppur district, borewell water levels have reportedly dropped from around 500 feet last year to nearly 1,000 feet, illustrating the mounting pressure on groundwater resources.
Disease and Heat Compound the Crisis
Unseasonal showers have offered limited relief; paradoxically, they have reportedly encouraged microbial diseases in mulberry plants, further reducing leaf yields available to feed silkworms. High temperatures have simultaneously cut cocoon yields per disease-free laying (DFL) from approximately one kilogram to around 600 grams. A batch of 75 DFLs now yields only about 45 kilograms of cocoons.
Higher auction prices have therefore not translated into better incomes for most farmers — they have fewer cocoons to sell, eroding the gains from price appreciation.
A Recovery Interrupted
The current downturn has cut short a fragile post-pandemic recovery. Some farmers who returned to sericulture in anticipation of improved conditions are now confronting declining output alongside worsening irrigation difficulties. The convergence of depleted groundwater, reduced mulberry acreage, and lower silkworm productivity points to structural stress that goes beyond seasonal weather variation.
Unless water availability improves and disease pressures ease, the sector's recovery is likely to remain stalled — with implications for the livelihoods of thousands of farm families across the Coimbatore-Tiruppur belt.
Point of View
Groundwater depletion, and microbial disease arriving simultaneously in a sector that had not yet fully healed from the pandemic. Higher cocoon prices look like a silver lining but are cold comfort when farmers have fewer cocoons to sell. The more troubling signal is structural: mulberry acreage halving in three months suggests farmers are exiting, not just cutting back. If the state government does not intervene with emergency irrigation support and disease-resistant mulberry varieties, the recovery that was underway could permanently reverse — leaving Tamil Nadu's 18 cocoon markets with a shrinking base to sustain.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why have cocoon arrivals fallen in Coimbatore's sericulture market?
Arrivals have dropped 30–40% over three months because water scarcity and high temperatures — driven by the El Niño effect — have severely disrupted mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing across the Coimbatore region. With mulberry acreage nearly halving and groundwater levels plunging, farmers have been unable to maintain normal production.
How much have cocoon prices risen in Coimbatore?
Auction prices at the Coimbatore government cocoon market climbed to ₹820–₹850 per kilogram last week as supplies tightened, before settling at approximately ₹750 in recent days. Despite higher prices, many farmers are earning less overall because they have fewer cocoons to sell.
What is the El Niño effect doing to Tamil Nadu's sericulture sector?
The extended rainfall deficit attributed to El Niño has created drought-like conditions, limiting water availability for mulberry irrigation and depleting groundwater. Paradoxically, unseasonal showers that have occurred reportedly encouraged microbial diseases in mulberry plants, further reducing the leaf yields needed to feed silkworms.
How has silkworm productivity been affected?
High temperatures have reduced the cocoon yield per disease-free laying (DFL) from approximately one kilogram to about 600 grams. A batch of 75 DFLs now produces only around 45 kilograms of cocoons, sharply cutting returns for farmers.
Is this a new crisis or an ongoing problem for Tamil Nadu sericulture?
The current downturn has interrupted a fragile post-Covid-19 recovery. Some farmers who had returned to sericulture expecting improved conditions are now facing falling output and worsening irrigation difficulties, suggesting the sector's recovery — which had only recently begun — is at risk of reversing.
