GUWAHATI, Jan 7 � The draft of the State�s sericulture policy is ready. It has been submitted to the State Government for follow-up action.
The policy objectives put forward in the draft include steps to make the State a leader in the world market in Vanya silk, to create opportunities for gainful employment in rural areas, to pay special attention to productivity improvement and to encourage cluster activities of reeling, spinning and weaving.
The approach to achieve these objectives is based on knowledge transfer in a manner so as to adequately equip the sericulturists with the required technical know-how, improved access to cost-effective inputs, to markets and prevention of loss of sericulture produce.
Besides, it has also laid stress on improvement in productivity by improving breed, silkworm health management, availability of quality food plants, disease control and prevention and development of reeling, spinning devices and processing, marketing and quality control of silkworm seeds, cocoons, yarn and allied products.
The draft has also spelt out strategy for the sericulture sector like convergence of developmental programmes or schemes in cluster to address the technological gaps, large-scale expansion of the production base by spreading out the area under silkworm food plants to the potential non-traditional areas.
