STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said the futuristic roadmap for holistic growth of agriculture and allied sector will help in ensuring product quality, quantity and boosting global demand.
“We need to safeguard skills handed down from generation to generation and make this sector financially more attractive”, the Lt Governor observed while inaugurating a day-long workshop on Sericulture in J&K, “Silk Samagra and beyond”, here at SKICC.
Commending the efforts of all the stakeholders, scientists, officers, and farmers for the holistic development of the sericulture sector in J&K, the Lt Governor said the workshop will serve as an effective tool to provide a platform for sharing of knowledge of latest technologies and details of government schemes to stakeholders for increasing productivity of silk in the UT.
“Our prime objective is to make the lives of farmers associated with this dream fabric better and to ensure uniqueness, beauty, and ingenuity, which are the hallmark of J&K’s crafts, dominate the global market”, the Lt Governor asserted.
The Lt Governor said, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government endeavours to provide training, technology inputs, IT tools and such other infrastructure support required for the transformation of Sericulture.
The Lt Governor said that the UT government is working on area expansion under Mulberry Plantation to increase leaf availability for rearers and enrich green wealth. The Forest Department and the Sericulture Department have been working jointly for achieving the green mission of the UT. Avenues of Market Infrastructures to provide platform and facilitate the cocoon growers in selling their produce in their vicinity, he added.
The Lt Governor also underscored the importance of adoption of latest technological advancements in silk to reduce the dependence on imported silk. One of the three important centers in the country for Research and Development, Training, Transfer of Technology and IT Intervention has been set up at Kashmir’s Pampore, he added.
The Lt Governor said that the Silk Samagra Yojana launched in 2017-18 under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proved to be a game-changer in making sericulture sustainable by supporting the country’s as well as J&K’s silk industry in an integrated manner.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has increased the revolving fund from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 3.50 crore. In Silk Samagra Phase-I, about 900 silkworm rearers directly benefited and about 618 rearing houses were also established, he added.
The Central Silk Board has allocated Rs 35 crore for J&K under Silk Samagra Phase-II benefitting around 27,000 families involved in sericulture in the UT.
Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles will enhance the funding as per the requirements of the UT of J&K, so that more and more farmers and entrepreneurs are benefitted in the coming years, the Lt Governor observed.
The Lt Governor also suggested the inclusion of Krishi Vigyan Kendras to enable a strong support system for sharing of information and developing necessary facilities to increase the income of farmers and providing them with linkages to Sericulture FPOs.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor felicitated five progressive farmers and sericulturists and handed over cheques of Rs 1.57 lakh each to them.
Bilingual publication on sericulture was also released by the Lt Governor, besides the history and process of silk farming in J&K was showcased through a documentary.
Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary Union Ministry of Textiles, in his address, said that the Central Silk Board is working round the clock through its various regional centres to boost silk production. We are continuously focusing on quality and high-grade silk production, he added.
He further highlighted the high potential for increasing silk production in the UT of J&K.
Manzoor Ahmed Qadri, Director Sericulture Development Department, in his welcome address, said that special impetus is being given to the Silk production in J&K under the aegis of Ministry of Textile, GoI.
Majid Hayat Bawan of M/S Bombyx Mori Silks highlighted the role of the private sector in silk reeling activities through a power point presentation.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department; Rajit Ranjan Okhandiar, Member Secretary Central Silk Board; Dr Sardar Singh, Director Central Sericultural Research & Training Institute, CSB Pampore, besides officers of UT administration, experts and sericulturists were present on the occasion.