The Uttar Pradesh government is all set to promote cocoon rearing in the state in a phased manner in the next five years in order to boost silk production and benefit thousands of farmers.
At present, about 29,000 farmers are engaged in cocoon rearing and the Yogi government, in its second term, plans to increase their number to over 50,000.
“Currently, silk thread is being made from 60 metric tonnes of cocoons and the government aims to augment the production to 1,750 MT in the next five years. To achieve this target, the government also plans to increase the number of reeling machines from two to 45,” Additional Chief Secretary, Textile and Silk Industries, Navneet Sehgal said here on Saturday.
The government has chalked out a detailed plan to provide equipment to 100 farmers under the ‘Silk Samagra Scheme’ of the Central Silk Board, run by the Union Ministry of Textiles.
According to the target set by the government, maximum weavers will be linked to the silk exchange. A total of 17 lakh mulberry and Arjun saplings will be planted and about 10 community centres will be set up for rearing silkworms.
“Digitisation of the Integrated Silk Complex under the ODOP scheme, setting up of 10 reeling units at a cost of Rs 180 lakh and construction of 10 other community centres for silkworm rearing will also be done,” Sehgal said.
At present, Uttar Pradesh contributes only 3 per cent to the total silk production of the country while with the efforts of the government, this share can go up to 15-20 per cent. The annual demand for silk thread in Varanasi and Mubarakpur alone is 3,000 MT. Currently, Uttar Pradesh is able to fulfil only one per cent of this demand.
“As far as sericulture is concerned, Chandauli, Sonbhadra, Lalitpur and Fatehpur are known for tussar silk production. Sericulture is being practised in Kanpur City, Kanpur Dehat, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Banda and Fatehpur. The government will get Arjun saplings planted on a large scale in all these areas for the cultivation of silk. Terai districts are suitable for mulberry cultivation. Silk is cultivated in 57 districts of the state,” he said.