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Sericulture expansion plan in H.P.

Staff Correspondent

As many on 8,055 families are practicing sericulture in the State

SHIMLA: The farmers in Himachal are being benefited after pursuing an eco friendly; agro based and labour intensive rural cottage industry in the name of "sericulture" these days. About 5 lakh mandays are generated under the sericulture activity and 4.93 lakh kgs of green silk cocoon are produced in the State. The State has sold 6.24 MT of raw silk in the market, claimed a government spokesman here today.

As many on 8,055 families are practicing sericulture in the State but most of them are poor and even living below the property line. Their average income is just 5 to 6 thousand in a year but now the State is doing efforts to increase the income and the number of households involved in this activity. More and more rearing centres, mulberry farms, nurseries and silk seed production centres are being set up in the hill state now.

Silk worms are being supplied at subsidized rates, mulberry gardens are developed with distribution of mulberry saplings and disinfectant materials. Good tools and equipments with incentives for setting up reeling units are being given. State is providing an assistance of 50 percent in constructing the rearing sheds. About 2270 such sheds have been made so far. Centrally sponsored projects worth Rs 27 crore are being implemented in the State for the development of sericulture trade, said the spokesman.

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