By Ranjan K Baruah
Fibre to fabric is possible in many ways. The northeastern region is full of handlooms with unique indigenous designs. To make the finished goods we need raw materials which can be produced locally and this is an area where many of our people may get engaged.
In today’s edition, we will inform our readers about sericulture and how it can be an academic field of study as well as entrepreneurial choice. Sericulture is an agro-based industry and involves rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk, which is the yarn obtained out of cocoons spun by certain species of insects.
In India, approximately 60 lakh persons are engaged in various sericulture activities. It can engage more number of people in rural areas and especially amongst communities which have been doing it for ages. The best part is it can be practised even with very low land holding.
The silk is acquired from both insect and non-insect fauna. The insect fauna mostly comprises mulberry and non-mulberry silkworms. In India, mulberry silk supply is about 75 per cent.
The Sericulture sector is unique in the sense that every stage involves art, science and technology. Sericulture education has gained thrust in the country during XII Five Year Plan period to cater to the needs of manpower in this sector. It is an upcoming higher education area to generate globally competent and professionally motivated technical human resources.
Assam Agriculture University has set of College of Sericulture at Titabor. The college, established in 2014, is about 25 km away from Jorhat (presently being run from Assam Agriculture University). The degree programme offered is B.Sc. (Hons) Sericulture of eight semesters. The departments offering undergraduate courses are: Agriculture and Allied Subjects, Basic Sciences and Humanities, Cocoon Crop Production, Host Plant Production, Sericulture Crop Improvement and Silk Product Science.
After completing the course individuals may join government agencies like Silk Board, Sericulture Board or Ministry of Handloom, etc. There are scopes in research field as well as in marketing depending on the qualifications and skills of the candidates. MMorover, people without having degrees may also become entrepreneurs after taking training under experts.
CSB: The Central Silk Board (CSB) is a Statutory Body, established during 1948, by an Act of Parliament (Act No.LXI of 1948). It functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Textiles. The Board comprises 39 members appointed as per the powers and provisions conferred by Sub-Section 3 of Section 4 of the CSB Act 1948, for a period of 3 years.
CMERTI: Central Muga Eri Research & Training Institute is an R&D institute in the field of muga and eri culture. It is under the control of Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles. The institute has been successfully undertaking entire gamut of R&D activities to cater to the needs of the on-farm and post-cocoon sector of Muga and Eri sericulture. Muga and eri culture is a rural industry in the country.
(The author is a career mentor and can be reached at [email protected] or 8473943734 for any career related queries)