GUWAHATI: Silkworm rearers in Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) are earning higher than earlier times, thanks to the sericulture mission.
Ahead of the launch of the Bodoland Sericulture Mission in 2023, the silkworm farmers earned around Rs 70,000 annually. Now, it has increased to Rs 1 lakh. Systematic rearing, training and improved disease management are among many factors responsible for this turnaround.
Nijwm Thomas Mushahary, a specialist of non-farm livelihoods, told that the BTR government replaced the traditional methods of silkworm rearing with scientific rearing under the mission.
“Previously, they used country looms. We gave them an improved technology -- jacquard looms,” he said.
He added that the farmers are also provided with training by the department and taken on exposure trips to places, doing well in this sector.
“Their income is generated from the sales of cocoon and pupa. Pupa is consumed. BTR’s pupa is marketed in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Cocoon is bought by mostly people from Bihar and West Bengal,” Mushahary said.
“We are working towards ensuring that each silkworm farmer earns Rs 1.5 lakh annually within the next three years,” he said.
The BTR government had undertaken some smaller missions earlier but considering the potential, it decided to scale up the effort leading to the launch of the Bodoland Sericulture Mission.
The mission is supported by the Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, World Bank and other organisations. The concerted effort is reshaping livelihoods across the region.
Currently, 41,854 acres of land are covered under silkworm food plantations in the BTR, providing livelihood to 44,250 families in 1,658 villages, officials said.
Noting the mission’s success, the BTR government established two spun mills in Barama and Kokrajhar, and two cocoon banks in Udalguri and Kokrajhar.
“The cocoon market is mostly unorganised. The department buys cocoon from farmers and sells it off through the cocoon banks. The cocoon banks are helping those farmers who did not get a market earlier,” Mushahary said.
He added that the Barama spun mill has also started buying cocoon from the rearers directly, but that is only 10 per cent of production.
The BTR government has supported 1,275 weavers and spinners with an average amount of Rs 28,000 per beneficiary, covering training, supply of spinning machines, certified looms, and weave-sense technology.
The autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council administers five districts -- Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Tamulpur and Udalguri -- falling under the BTR.