Srinagar, Mar 27: The Jammu and Kashmir government is working under a multi-pronged strategy towards revival and holistic development of the Sericulture sector in the Union Territory.
“Cocoon growers are being facilitated with requisite skill development training, latest technological interventions and related infrastructural support for transforming the sericulture industry in J&K”, maintained an official while elaborating on initiatives of the government in this regard.
The futuristic roadmap for holistic growth of agriculture and allied sectors will help in ensuring product quality and quantity besides raising global demand, added the official. He said that the J&K government was working on area expansion under mulberry plantations to increase leaf availability for rearers and enrich green wealth.
The Forest and Sericulture Departments are jointly working towards achieving J&K’s Green Mission besides creating and ensuring marketing support to the cocoon growers in selling their produce in their vicinity.
Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, maintained during a function that “Our prime objective is to make better the lives of farmers associated with this dream fabric besides ensuring uniqueness, beauty and ingenuity of J&K’s crafts dominate the global market,”.
The futuristic roadmap for holistic growth of agriculture and the allied sector will safeguard the age-old skills being transferred from generation to generation. The effort is aimed at helping preservation and promotion of the unique and indigenous craft legacy of J&K across the globe.
The government is giving importance to the adoption of the latest technological advancements in the silk industry to reduce dependence on imported silk. One of the three important centres in the country for Research and Development, Training, Transfer of Technology and IT Intervention has been set up at Kashmir’s Pampore.
Recently, the Department of Sericulture, Rajouri, Mulberry Circle Lamberi organized Kissan Ghosti/Scientific interaction under ATMA programme. The main objective of the programme was to educate silkworm rearers about the latest technology and practice for silkworm rearing.
The farmers were briefed about various projects being implemented under Holistic Agriculture Development Programme.
In a significant accomplishment, Kundan Lal, a progressive farmer of Lamberi Rajouri, earned Rs 91666.50 in 20 to 25 days by selling 87.6kg of dry crop. Similarly, Tilak Raj of Lamberi Village of Rajouri earned Rs 132356 in 20 to 25 days by selling 131.350 kg of silk.
To cater to the research, training and extension needs of Jammu & Kashmir, the Central Silk Board (CSB) set up the Central Sericulture Research and Training Institute (CSR & TI) at Pampore, Srinagar, in 1994 to revive earlier activities of the CSB in J&K. The institute is actively involved in Research and Development besides human resource development through its network of 2 Regional Sericulture Research Stations (RSRS) and 8 Research Extension Centres.
