The man revolutionising sericulture at 75 | Fusion - WeRIndia

At the age of 75, G Gurumoorthy Setti from Yeduru village in Chittoor district continues to inspire with his dedication, resilience, and innovative approach to farming.

Despite having an education only up to Class 10, he has transformed decades of hardship into success as a sericulture farmer.

His eight-acre farm combines mulberry cultivation for silkworm rearing with crops like paddy, mango, and vegetables.

With nearly 40 years of experience, Gurumoorthy has navigated market fluctuations while steadily building his expertise.

Instead of giving up when faced with challenges, Gurumoorthy chose innovation. Determined to make sericulture sustainable and reduce losses, he spent over five years experimenting tirelessly.

Working mostly in his own fields, he developed multiple trial versions of a machine, learning from failures and refining the design each time.

Using locally available materials and spare parts, he finally created a horizontal cocoon harvester and cleaning device, popularly called the ‘Six-in-One Model’. This machine can operate manually, on battery power, or using a motorbike-based mechanism.

Gurumoorthy credits his success to technical guidance from scientists at Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Tirupati.

Earlier, during the peak season, harvesting 600 kg of silk cocoons monthly required about 35 labourers, costing over ₹20,000.

Today, the same work can be done efficiently with just seven labourers, and expenses have dropped to around ₹3,500.

The machine’s affordable components, including electric motors, conveyor belts, and processing units, ensure gentle cleaning of cocoons without damaging their shape, maintaining high-quality silk production.

The total cost of the machine is around ₹50,000, making it highly accessible for small and medium-scale sericulture farmers.

Thanks to this innovation, Gurumoorthy demonstrates that sericulture can be a profitable livelihood, offering a profit margin of 60-70%.

Beyond his own farm, he actively mentors fellow farmers, encouraging them to adopt sericulture as a sustainable income source.

His journey exemplifies how perseverance, creativity, and practical innovation can transform traditional farming into a modern, high-yield enterprise.

Image Credit: Ravindradevi mint, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sericulture_farming.jpg