Chhattisgarh now has as many as 151 Tussar silk project centres funded by the Japanese Government operating in the State, officials informed.
Tussar silk plantation had been taken up in 2980 hectares under Japan aided Tussar Project, they stated. Moreover, under the Tussar Silk Development and Expansion Scheme of State Government’s Rural Industry Department, nearly 1.2 lakh beneficiaries have been benefited during the previous financial year 2013-14.
Nearly 26.31 crore units of Kosa were produced in the previous year and total 394 metric tonnes of threads were produced from these Kosa fruits. Around Rs 19.21 crore have been spent on this scheme. Department officials informed that the total Kosa produced last year includes 5.83 crore units of Tussar cocoon and 20.48 lakh units of natural Kosa.
Presently, total 139 Tussar centres are operating in the State, which includes 43 pilot project, 84 other Tussar centres and 12 Kosa seed centres. Under this scheme, nearly 11,656 hectare area is available for Tussar plantation, including 3276.50 hectare under departmental centres, 1291.50 hectares under MNREGS, 4801 hectares under natural forest areas. This apart, silk farming as become an additional source of income for many farmers of Bastar district.
Abundant production of Tasar Kosa cocoons has been taken up in the natural Saal forests of the district. Besides, Shahtuti silk is cultivated in the villages. The Silk Directorate has been providing jobs to 300 families, working as various self-help groups (SHGs), in the Tussar Seed Production Centre, in Chapka village of the district.
Every year, about 12 lakh Tasar (Kosa) silk cocoons bred on Arjun trees in the 68-hectare area of the Tasar Seed Production Centre. With this, beneficiaries of 60 families get additional income of about Rs 24,000. Besides, about 250 other families are linked with this Tussar Seed Production Centre, which take seeds from the Centre and cultivate Kosa cocoons on the natural Saal forests.
The Silk Directorate operates Cocoon Bank and Silk Kosa Threading Centre in Dharampur village of Bastar district. A total of 30 machines were installed at the Centre for Kosa threading, on which 28 beneficiaries are working. In another Centre, silk thread production works are done through ‘Matka Pulling System’, in which 22 beneficiaries are working. As such, the Centre has become bread-earner for 50 families.
In 2010-11, the officers of Silk Directorate, by organising awareness camps in villages, had imparted training to the villagers in producing ‘Raily Kosa’. Thereafter, by launching a campaign with the assistance of the villagers, 25 lakh butterflies were released in Saal forests. As a result, 7.10 crore ‘Raily Kosa’ were produced in 2011-12 and 7.20 crore in the year 2012-13.