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Bhubaneswar, Jan 7: The production of Tussar in the state has touched 96 tonnes till date this fiscal and is expected to reach 120 tonnes by March 2018. K M Hanumantharyappa, the Chairman of Central Silk Board, said: “More and more youth from the state should come forward to take part in sericulture and should take part in the training programme offered by the board in every clusters of the state.” Hanumantharyappa was in the state to attend an event at which 81 Buniyad machines were distributed to woman beneficiaries in Fakirpur and Ata in Keonjhar district. The machines will replace the traditional manual reeling of yarn. The board plans to distribute 200 more machines across clusters in the state.
The Central Silk Board, in association with the sericulture department of the state, expects to distribute the planned lot of buniyad machines by March 2018.
“We received 300 applications for the machines for which the board provides assistance of Rs9,000 against the cost of Rs10,000. The distribution through the state department is likely to be completed by March this year,” the official said. He said the Central Silk Board will provide Rs6.30 crore for the development of sericulture department of the state this fiscal under centrally sponsored schemes.
Another official with the development said the board had recently released Rs0.93 crore under Scheduled Castes Special Plan for the state and the programme has been implemented at Bhausuni in Mayurbhanj, where 300 families are to receive the benefits.
The official said Odisha is a predominantly a Tussar producing state and has already produced 96 tonnes of the silk and that it is expected to cross production of 115 tonne that was achieved last year. The total silk production in the state during last fiscal was 125 tonne. He said the total silk production in the state was expected to cross 140 tonne this fiscal.
Central Silk Board has highlighted the need to established an Eri Basic Seed Farm at Koraput to cater to the needs of the state. The farm will reduce dependance on import of Eri from the Northeast.