Guwahati: Sericulture is playing a vital role in uplifting the rural economy of Assam, as a major part of the population finds employment with the state’s famous Muga and Eri silk industry, Minister for Cultural Affairs Pranati Phukan said on Friday.
“The sericulture industry is playing a vital role in uplifting the rural economy of the state where 80 per cent of the people are directly engaged with the Muga silk and Eri silk industry for employment,” she told reporters here.
Phukan said the Golden Muga of Assam occupied a specific place in the sericulture map of the world, with the state producing 99 per cent of Muga silk and 65 per cent of Eri silk.
This has helped the state to acquire the third leading position nationally as per the latest records, she added.
The increasing demand for Eri and Muga globally has not only given this industry a unique identity but also a scope for self-employment to the rural youth, the Minister said.
Phukan said both the state and central governments had taken up a number of schemes for production of high quality yarn production by adopting schemes for augmentation of food for Eri and Muga worms in a systematic manner, setting up of Green House for commercial rearing of silk worms.
Health insurance schemes for rearers and women, subsidy in technical yarn cutting machines and upgradation of looms have been implemented already resulting in increase of Muga Yarn production at the rate of 25 per cent from 86 tonnes in 2008-09 to 115 tonnes in 2011-12.
Eri yarn production similarly rose at the rate of 60 per cent from 784 tonnes in 2008-09 to 1,975 tonnes in 2011-12, the Minister said.
The schemes have been formulated towards making the sericulture industry more people oriented and production oriented in the financial year 2013-14, proposal for which have been sent for financial approval.
Schemes proposed are for setting up of a Sericulture College, setting up of a Model Sericulture village for Eri and Muga production enhancement, Model farms, Yarn Banks, Green House for rearing of silk worms, development of infrastructure through Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Agriculture Promotion Scheme and Border Development scheme. (PTI)
