Under Tassar Silk Development and Expansion Scheme of Chhattisgarh Government's Village Industries Department, nearly 14.63 crore units of Kosa was produced in previous fiscal year 2015-16, officials informed.
Kosa production has earned income of ` 28.54 crore for 41,814 beneficiaries.
In Chhattisgarh, natural Kosa is produced in Bastar (Jagdalpur), Kondagaon, Narayanpur, South Bastar (Dantewada), Bijapur, North Bastar (Kanker), Janjgir-Champa, Bilaspur, Korba, Surajpur, Koriya, Raigarh, Jashpur, Raipur, Gariaband, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Rajnandgaon, Durg, Balod and Kabeerdham districts. The natural silk produced in natural forest blocks without human interference, is collected by forest dwelling tribal families and sold in open Haat-bazaars.
Notably, about 2,500 metric tonnes of ‘Kosa Raw Silk’ was targetted to be produced in Chhattisgarh during the last financial year.
The produce , it was decided, was to be sold both in the domestic and international markets.The Chhattisgarh Government last year also decided to prepare an action plan titled ‘ Tussar Resham Vision 2020-21’ to augment silk production.
As per the action plan, both the State Forest Department and Village Industries Department would plant Kosa saplings in 50,000 hectares of land during the coming years.
In March last year the Chhattisgarh government drew up plans to massively increase production of Kosa-Silk with a view to providing employment to people residing in rural pockets of the State.
State Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand wrote letters to all district collectors in this regard. The Chief Secretary had stated in the letter that priority should be given to plantation of Kauha ( Arjun) and Saja saplings for promoting Kosa-Silk production.
Dhand had stated that Kosa-Cocoon production would be profitable when the training for threads and weaving is given at the site of Kosa production.
It may be mentioned that Chhattisgarh now has one ‘Raw Material Bank’ for Tassar silk established in Raigarh district, according to the 2013-14 annual report of the Union Ministry of Textiles.The primary objective of the ‘Raw Material Bank’ is to ensure economic and fair price for the primary Tussar Silk growers, it stated.
In Chhattisgarh, Silk farming as become an additional source of income for the farmers of insurgency infested Bastar district, officials informed.
Taking benefit of the silk development schemes of the Village Industries Department of the State government, the villagers of the district have proved it by their hard work, officials stated. Abundant production of Tussar Kosa cocoons has been taken up in the natural Saal forests of the district. Besides, Shahtuti silk is cultivated in the villages.
Arjun saplings were planted in the 10-acres of land of Silk Directorate in Bade Garvand village, in which the self-help group Ma Vamandei Kosa Krimi Palan had been farming Tasar Kosa.