Newmai News Network Imphal | July 29 A total of 31,737 families are now working in sericulture related activities in 934 villages of Manipur, according to B. John Tlangtinkhuma, Director of Sericulture. The total production of raw silk this year was 525.95 MT, the official claimed. Sericulture is a labour intensive agro-based industry which can generate employment opportunities for the rural and semi urban people with lowest investment cost. Manipur is one of the unique states in the world where all the four varieties of silk viz. Mulberry, Eri, Muga and Oak Tasar are produced. The silk produced in Manipur is that of the best quality and the land is suitable for sericulture project. Sericulture in the state has a long tradition and has been practiced by the farmers from time immemorial though on a limited scale. Even unskilled or uneducated rural and semi-urban population can practice Sericulture activities. Sericulture has given opportunity to women for self employment. Till the IX Five Year Plan Mulberry silkworm rearing and reeling was confined to four villages viz, Khurkhul, Leimaram, Phayeng and Thongjao whereas a few womenfolk practiced Eri silkworm rearing for domestic consumption. According to Tlangtinkhuma, during the Ninth National Socio-Economic Development Plan the State Government had started implementation of Manipur Sericulture Project. The revised plan size of the Department for 2014-15 was Rs. 1,896 lakhs. The Manipur Sericulture Project I under Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Japan (1997-2008) took a long time to approve the project. Average productivity was only 40 kg cocoons /100 dfls and many farmers abandoned their activities. Now the second phase is going on. Farmers having an acre of land are provided assistance for construction of Individual Adult Rearing Houses, rearing appliances, planting materials in kind with their involvement with training facilities in the field of silkworm rearing and silkworm food plantation. After the second phase was taken up 36 hectares of land was brought under mulberry plantation for 90 farmers and 25 hectares under plantation for eri silkworm for 61 farmers. 151 farmers were assisted for construction of 1 silkworm rearing house each. NERTPS (Mulberry) (2015-2017) project was approved by the Government of India on 17.12.2013 for development of mulberry sericulture in the valley districts of the State with a total project cost of Rs. 149.76 crores and implementation was started from the year 2014-15. Under ISDP under NERTPS (Mulberry & Eri) project development of mulberry and Eri sericulture was taken up in hill districts with a total project cost of Rs. 30.39 crores. The project is to be implemented over a period of two years and it aims to bring 700 acres of land under Mulberry and Eri plantation with the involvement of 700 beneficiaries. Each beneficiary is given assistance for mulberry plantation, construction of adult silkworm rearing house, rejuvenation of the mulberry farms and rearing equipments. The Catalytic Development Program (CDP) was also implemented since the IX Plan with the assistance of Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India. Pre-cocoon activities of all the four sectors of sericulture are covered under this program. So far 18,735 families have been benefited through the scheme up to the end of XI Plan. The CSB has released Rs. 671.96 Lacs (2014-15). A sub-scheme called ‘Bi-voltine Cluster Promotion Programme’ under CDP is implemented at Churachandpur and Ukhrul Districts under CDP with the involvement of 175 farmers at Churachandpur and 150 farmers at Ukhrul. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) has been implemented since 2010-11 to enhance production and productivity and also to improve infrastructure.
