Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 15: The Jammu and Kashmir government has approved an ambitious project worth Rs 91 crore envisaging revival and revotalization of silk industry in the UT through technological interventions.
The project which contains end to end interventions, right from availability of mulberry leaves to better seed and worm production and finally augmentation of reeling facilities, shall double the number of cocoons produced in J&K and boost value addition by establishment of a state-of-the-art automatic reeling facility at Jammu.
Sericulture or silk production, has a long established history amd market, local as well as foreign, in Jammu and Kashmir. The region is known for its high-quality bivoltine silk and has the potential to become a major silk producing hub in the country. However, the industry has faced challenges in recent years and there was a need for its development and modernization in order to meet the growing demand for superior silk which can match and replace not only the silk being imported to the country but also compete in its export requirements abroad.
“Sericulture is the only cash crop that ensures significant returns in a short span of time, earning it a special place in the rural economy. Although the state produces high-quality bivoltine cocoons, productivity and total cocoon output are low” said Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department while higlighting the broad contours of the samctioned project. Similarly, cocoon yields are half of the national average and over the past few years the output from the sector has been shrinking. Improving seed quality, rearing facilities and cocoon processing will provide a huge shot in the arm for the sector and improve income at farm levels, he added.
“Technological interventions to strengthen Sericulture in J&K” is one among the 29 projects, which were approved by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after being recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of Agriculture and Allied Sectors in UT of J&K.
The prestigious committee is being headed by Dr Mangala Rai, Former DG ICAR and has other luminaries in the field of Agriculture, Planning, Statistics and Administration like Ashok Dalwai, CEO NRAA, Dr. P. K Joshi, Secretary, NAAS, Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner MOA &FW, Dr. H. S Gupta, Former Director, IARI, Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, APD apart from the Vice Chancellors of the twin Agriculture Universities of the UT.
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