Mukesh Sharma
Kalimpong,7TH Dec

India is the second largest producer of silk (after China) in the world and has the distinction of manufacturing four varieties namely, mulberry, eri, tasar and muga silks.West Bengal and Sikkim West Bengal produces mulberry variety.But in recent year the Muga cultivation has been started in these hilly state and area.Competition from artificial silk is the main problem faced by the Indian silk industry. The artificial silk is cheaper and better in quality. Import of better quality and cheaper raw silk from China is also detrimental for indigenous sericulture.

To access the situation today Chairman of Central Silk Board of India NS Bisse Gowda along with four board member visited the Regional Sericulture Research Station ( RSRS) Kalimpong.

The Board have set a target to increase production of Silk all over the country. Targeting the NE eastern region along with Darjeeling Hilly region the board have given special emphasis to produce high quality  bivoltine silk production in these area. Bengal have been giving multivoltine Silk whose quality do not match in international market.

Gowda today said that  "the raw silk production in the country should be doubled  to 46,000 m.tons during the terminal year of XII plan period i.e., 2016-17 with an annual growth rate of 20 – 25 %  in silk production" He added The Central Silk Board (CSB) is formulating plans for extending the area under mulberry cultiva­tion, improving quality and intensifying research- work. A project has been initiated with the assist­ance from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for evolving suitable mulberry vari­eties and bivoltine silk worm races, as also technol­ogy for rearing. The CSB is focusing special atten­tion to the growth of the industry in the north-eastern region.

The board will be visiting all the North Eastern States.