Agartala, June 10: Silkworm cultivation or sericulture is giving a major livelihood support to the people in rural Tripura in this pandemic crisis.
To support the growers in increasing production, the Sericulture department has initiated several nurseries in Sepahijala district along with other parts of the state.
In the present session, the mulberry nursery has been initiated on 12 acre land with involvement of 17 beneficiaries of four sericulture clusters under Sepahijala district- Bishramgaj, Takarjala, Kathalia and Nalchar.
District Sericulture Development Officer, Sepahijala- Tapan Chandra Deb said this year a target has been set for new mulberry plantation on 180 acre land with involvement of 350-400 beneficiaries under Intensive Bivoltine Sericulture Development Project (IBSDP). He said at present the process for selection of beneficiaries is underway.
Explaining the technical part, Deb said, “mulberry leaves are a key component for silkworm farming. We create nurseries at government initiative to assist the private growers. We also supply silk worms and other supports for rearing of silkworms. Once the worms start pupating in their cocoons, the cocoons are collected and sent to the reeling centre for further processing.”
In the whole process, from Mulberry nursery to production and post-production of silk thread, a good number of people including women get income scopes at different levels, the District Sericulture Officer said.
When asked about the volume of production, he said, approximately 2000 kg cocoons were sold at Rs. 300 per kg on an average in 2020-21 till June in Sepahijala district. As a result, the silkworm growers received a total of Rs. 6 lakh directly.
“The important part is that the silkworm growers don’t need to go to markets to sell their produce. They grow the silkworms with assistance from the government and directly sell them to the government. In this pandemic time, it’s a major boost to their livelihood following which the state government is encouraging more farmers in silkworm cultivation,” the officer narrated. (Courtesy: Tripura Times)