In a significant step towards modernising sericulture infrastructure and strengthening rural livelihoods in the Northeastern region, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, today inaugurated the newly constructed Grainage Building and Cold Storage Facility at the CSB-Silkworm Seed Production Centre (SSPC), Rowriah, Jorhat.
Addressing the gathering, Margherita emphasised that quality silkworm seed, modern infrastructure, technology and skill development are essential for building a productive and sustainable sericulture sector. Highlighting Assam’s rich silk heritage and the immense potential of the Northeastern region, he stated that initiatives such as Mission Senehjori can contribute towards transforming Muga silk into a high-value global product.
The Minister stressed the importance of entrepreneurship and collaboration among all stakeholders to enhance farmers’ productivity, create sustainable rural livelihoods and strengthen the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Northeast. He called for greater coordination among the Central Silk Board, State Government, research institutions, farmers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders for the development of a Viksit Assam and, in turn, a Viksit Bharat.
Established under the North-East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS), the state-of-the-art facility has an annual production capacity of 30 lakh Disease-Free Layings (DFLs) of mulberry hybrid seed and a preservation capacity of up to 1 crore DFLs. The upgraded infrastructure is expected to ensure the timely availability of quality silkworm seed and enhance the efficiency of seed production in Assam and the wider North-Eastern Region.
The facility will further strengthen the regional sericulture value chain by supporting improved seed production, creating employment opportunities and generating business opportunities for local suppliers and traders. It is also expected to contribute to the socio-economic development and livelihood enhancement of sericulture farmers in the region.
As part of the programme, an Interactive Seri-Stakeholder Meet was organised to facilitate dialogue with stakeholders and deliberate on key issues concerning the development of the sericulture sector. Progressive sericulture farmers were felicitated for their contribution to the sector, while P1 Disease-Free Layings (DFLs) were directly distributed to sericulture farmers. Certificates were also presented to trainees who successfully completed training under the Ministry of Textiles’ flagship Samarth Scheme, which focuses on skill development and capacity building in the textile and sericulture ecosystem.
The programme was attended by Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, Member of Parliament, Kaziranga; Hitendra Nath Goswami, Member of Legislative Assembly, Jorhat; and P. Sivakumar, Member Secretary, Central Silk Board, among other dignitaries.
