Srinagar, Oct 18: Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir today underscored the need for popularizing of cocoon production in the state and highlighted its market potential and scope for supplementing family income.
 The Minister, according to an official statement, was  speaking on a  day long workshop on “ Multiple Cocoon crops for sustainable sericulture J&K State,” organized by department of sericulture in collaboration with Central Sericulture Research Training Institute, Central Silk Board, Pampore, here.
 Minister of State for Agriculture,   Javid Ahmad Dar Was also present in the meeting.
 The Minister asked the department of Sericulture to undertake measures for introducing multiple crop cocoons so that cocoon production becomes a more viable activity.
 Dwelling in detail about the history and present development in the Sericulture industry, the Minister advised for value addition of cocoon produce so that the State is able to regain its lost position in Sericulture industry.
 Asking the department to expand the awareness programme,   Mir urged the farmers to come forward and adopt cocoon activity. He said the demand of raw material for silk industry is much higher necessitating the country to import raw material from China as well.
 He asked the department to make field staff accountable so that they are take the job more seriously and prove to be an important interface between the Government and farmers. He also stressed upon the factor co-ordination between central silk board, SKUAST and department of Sericulture saying that a coordinated approach only herald the Sate to achieving result on the front.
 Javid said the sericulture department has a huge potential to create job opportunities and added that the department have to widen its activities in far off areas where people are willing to  take it as economic activity. He stressed on massive plantation of hybrid mulberry trees in government and private land to provide maximum leafages to the cocoon rearers.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 18 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST