IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE INDIAN SERICULTURE INDUSTRY

Sericulture is an important agro-based industry that involves raising silkworms to produce silk. Due to its favourable climatic and geographical circumstances, India is endowed with mulberry and non-mulberry silk production. The current COVID-19 dilemma has a significant global impact. This has impacted people from all walks of life, causing serious disruptions in all aspects of global economic activity, including the Economic growth of the country. From the standpoint of economic growth and development, the Indian government's statewide lockdown has devastating implications in all sectors of the country. The agro - based sector, like many other sectors in India, has been affected by the global pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak has wreaked havoc on all aspects of the silk value chain due to disruptions in the demand-supply relationship. There had been major interruptions in the supply of inputs, cocoon and silk costs, raw silk production, and silk items marketing.