Technological interventions to strengthen sericulture in J&K: Official

Srinagar, July 16: Many efforts taken by the Sericulture Development Department and of SKUAST-K are expected to enable sericulture to regain its past glory and help to sustain the livelihood of many stakeholders associated with the industry, officials said.
Prof. (Dr) M. F. Baqual, Associate Dean the College of Temperate Sericulture (CoTS), Mirgund, SKUAST-K said the sericulture industry contributes to the overall agriculture sector and provides employment opportunities and income for thousands of people in the region.
“Although there is a sizable competition imposed on industry by sister concerns, yet with the efforts of the Department of Sericulture coupled with timely intervention of SKUAST, the industry keeps on flourishing,” he said.
Baqual said sericulture is one of the components recently approved in Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) which is an ambitious programme for overall development of the agriculture sector in UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Under HADP, focus on technological interventions to strengthen sericulture in JK wherein agriculture department continues to support through various both under UT Capex and centrally sponsored schemes to uplift socio economic status of sericulturists at the grass root level,” he said.
Under this program, he said sericulture sector is expected to witness a sea change in terms of establishment of chawkie rearing centres, upgradation of seed production units, establishment of Automatic Reeling Machine and plantation of additional ten lakh mulberry plants to cater to needs of rearers.
The government will support mulberry plantation, assistance for construction of rearing house Model II, supply of rearing appliances, mulberry chawki rearing centres and strengthening of post cocoon sector like silk reeling, twisting, weaving, dyeing, printing etc.
“The establishment of ARM will inculcate sense of responsibility among rearers with regard to conduct of rearing on technical lines so that quality cocoons are prepared which could be effectively reeled on Automatic Reeling Machine,” he said.
Sericulture is practised in J&K since times immemorial and has a long-standing tradition in the region with farmers rearing silkworms and producing high quality silk. Majority of the rural people used to derive their livelihood through silkworm rearing.
“In 2020-21, J&K produced 798 metric tons of silk cocoons production and the region has seen annual compound growth rate of 2.59% which shows positive improvement,” Baqual said.
SKUAST-K caters to needs of research and various technologies have been generated to ease burden on farmers which they face on account of space, plant material and that of disease diagnostics.
“College of Temperate Sericulture besides providing mulberry leaf to needy rearers also provides timely solution to mitigate various diseases which occur during the course of silkworm rearing or the cropping season,” he said.
He said for the farmers programs regarding importance of disinfection, leaf feeding, its transportation and collection are conducted with the idea to make these partners aware about the techniques involved in successful silkworm rearing.
“Plants of elite quality are also distributed to the farmers as and when they approach the college. Quality human resource is also being generated by the University in terms of imparting instruction to students at graduate and post graduate level,” he said.
Baqual said other activities like by product utilisation will also take off in a big way. “Quality and state of art breeding laboratories are also coming up at SKUAST centre,” he informed.
At national level centrally sponsored scheme, SILK SAMAGRA is being implemented for uplifting the Silk industry and after successful culmination of Silk Samagra phase 1 it’s another phase that is SILK SAMAGRA-2 is being implemented in UT of J&K which will result in harnessing maximum potential of sericulture in the state.
Silk production has a long history as J&K is known for its high-quality bivoltine silk and has potential to become a major silk-producing area in the country.
On the other side, Baqual in April this year the College of Temperate Sericulture, Mirgund under SKUAST-K adopted Chainabal village in Baramulla as a model village to expand silkworm rearing.
He said after the adoption the impact was to such an extent that there was approximately 100 percent increase in cocoon production.
“In furtherance with the village adoption program, College of Temperate Sericulture, Mirgund which is affiliated with SKUAST-Kashmir has been working very hard to help the rural masses by way of technology dissemination and its adoption,” he said.
Baqual said Baramulla is the second most promising sericulture district in Jammu and Kashmir. However, during the recent past, farmers have shown their reluctance towards this profession owing to multifarious reasons.
Chainabal is the second village in district Baramulla to be adopted by SKUAST-Kashmir. Earlier, it had adopted Rambail village in 2018 which had also witnessed great progress.