CSB Chairman Calls For Awareness Campaign To Develop Sericulture In Odisha State

Natural Fibers

CSB Chairman Calls For Awareness Campaign To Develop Sericulture In Odisha State

Central Silk Board (CSB) Chairman K M Hanumantharayappa has called for a massive awareness campaign in Odisha for development of sericulture in the state.

Hanumantharayappa who was in Odisha on a six-day visit recently, said that the CSB would provide Rs 6.30 crore to Odisha during 2017-18 in order to develop its sericulture industry. The fund would be provided under Central Sector Schemes (CSS), he said.

The CSB Chairman requested the state government to submit proposals under CSS for development of silk industry for 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. He stressed for increase of Mulberry silk in the state stating that it would fetch crores of foreign exchange and bring a change in the living standard of the Mulberry farmers.

Presently, two clusters one at Ghatgaon block of Keonjhar and another at Kashipur block of Rayagada district are being implemented in the state. The CSB Chairman said massive awareness campaign would be launched to educate people about the benefits and to encourage them to take up mulberry farming. He hinted that Kissan Melas and exposure trips would be organised to sensitise the farmers.

Odisha produces around 125 tons of Tassar per year but the mulberry production in the state is very insignificant. The state produces only two tons of mulberry per year which need to be increased, he remarked. About 20,000 tribal families are practicing sericulture out of which more than 16,000 are Tassar farmers, during 2016-17 the state has produced 125 tons of silk out of which 115 tons were Tassar silk.

Mayurbhanja, Keonjhar and Sundergarh are the districts contributed 90 per cent of Tasar silk production of the state. Hanumantharayappa said Odisha was provided support through Catalytic Development Programme (CDP) since the beginning of the ninth plan up to 2014-15 for improvement of production and productivity of Tassar, Mulberry and Eri cultivated in the state.

The CSB also provides Tasar nucleus and basic seed to the state though its four Basic Seed Multiplication Training centres at Baripada, Keonjhar, Sundergarh and Nabarangpur. He said the CSB decided to set up an ERI Basic seed farm at Koraput to cater to the need of the state. During 2015-16 the CSB has supported the implementation of Vanya Cluster Promotion Programme in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar for promotion of Tassar culture.