SRINAGAR: J&K Government is working on a multipronged strategy for the revival and holistic development of the Sericulture sector across Jammu and Kashmir.
The futuristic roadmap for holistic growth of agriculture and allied sectors will help in ensuring product quality as well as quantity with the boost in global demand. J&K government is working on area expansion under mulberry plantations to increase leaf availability for rearers. The Forest Department and Sericulture Department are working jointly for achieving J&K’s green mission and creating avenues of market infrastructures to provide a platform and facilitate the cocoon growers in selling their produce in their vicinity.
Recently at an event, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha urged all associated with the silk industry to come out of the past and look to the future. “Our prime objective is to make the lives of farmers associated with this dream fabric better and to ensure uniqueness, beauty, and ingenuity, which are the hallmark of J&K’s crafts, dominate the global market,” the LG said.
Sinha said that under the guidance of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the Government endeavours to provide training, technology inputs, IT tools, and other infrastructure support required for the transformation of sericulture.
The Government is taking various measures for making this sector viable. There is a need to safeguard skills handed down from generation to generation and make this sector financially more attractive.
The Government is giving importance to the adoption of the latest technological advancements in silk to reduce the dependence on imported silk. One of the three essential centres in the country for Research and Development, Training, Transfer of Technology, and IT Intervention has been set up at Kashmir’s Pampore.
To cater to the research, training and extension needs of Jammu & Kashmir, Central Silk Board (CSB) has set up the Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute (CSR&TI) at Pampore, to revive earlier activities of the CSB in J&K. The institute is actively involved in Research & Development and human resource development through its network of two Regional Sericulture Research Stations (RSRS) and 8 Research Extension Centers, of which one RSRS at Jammu, two RECs at Barnoti and Lamberi are functioning. Besides, P4 Basic Seed Farm (BSF) Manasbal in J&K is catering to R&D and extension needs.
High yielding silkworm hybrids like Dun 17 x Dun 18, Dun 6 x Dun22, SH6 x NB4D2, SOH1 and improved mulberry varieties like S140, S146 and PPR1 have been developed by CSR&TI, Pampore to increase the farmers’ income through sericulture.
CSB is promoting bivoltine production program extending technical support through 6 clusters (including 2 mega clusters), besides extending state of the art of soil testing facilities. Due to the continuous efforts of the Institute and technology intervention, the average yield of bivoltine cocoons has been enhanced significantly.
Notably, the Silk Samagra Yojana launched in 2017-18 under the guidance of the PM has proved to be a game-changer in making sericulture sustainable by supporting the country’s as well as J&K’s silk industry in an integrated manner. Jammu and Kashmir administration has increased the revolving fund from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 3.50 crore. In Silk Samagra Phase-I, about 900 silkworm rearers directly benefited and about 618 rearing houses were also established. Central Silk Board has allocated Rs 35 crore for J&K under Silk Samagra Phase-II benefitting around 27,000 families involved in sericulture across the UT.
