Centre to promote and expand sericulture sector in NE region

Assam and the North Eastern region produces all four commercially exploited varieties of silk – mulberry, muga, eri and tasar which contributes about 21 percent of the total silk production in the country. The Centre to promote and expand the silk industry has sanctioned a total of 24 sericulture projects.

Chairman of Central Silk Board (CSB) KM Hanumantharayappa said that the projects sanctioned by the Centre are under various stages of implementation. Of the total 24 projects, six are exclusively for Assam. He said that Silk Board is providing subsidies and other incentives to promote the sector.

Across the North-east, under the 24 North Eastern Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS) projects, six integrated sericulture projects are for muga, eri and mulberry sericulture. The Centre has allotted Rs 185.11 crore for these projects which are under various stages of implementation.

The production of muga, eri and mulberry in Assam have gone up in recent times. Eri production reached 3,600 tonne in 2016-17, while muga production was 141 tonne and mulberry output stood at 45 tonne.

The government is also targeting to provide assistance to almost 44,000 stakeholders, including 7,100 in Assam.