Giriraj Singh, the Union Minister of Textiles, urged agricultural experts to combine milkweed fibres with polyester, wool, viscose, or cotton to create high-quality textiles. In addition to meeting the nation’s urgent need for alternate fibres due to its expanding population, this novel fibre’s promising attributes would also greatly advance Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, he stated.
Speaking to the scientists and scholars at Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) in Pusa (Samastipur), the Minister claimed that if this fibre was properly developed, it would outperform the well-known ‘pashmina’ kind of Kashmir. He went on to say that milkweed improves the fabric’s warmth, breathability, and softness when combined with other fibres to produce high-end, comfortable goods.
The production of milkweed and its uses, especially in the textile sector, are being extensively investigated in Bihar, he said. According to him, facilities for processing and testing milkweed fibre are being built in Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA) parks.
The Minister announced that the National Technical Textile Mission and the RPCAU would sign a Memorandum of Understanding that would boost farmers’ incomes and advance the development of agro textiles.
In order to demonstrate the cooperation of technical textile in agriculture, a new centre of agricultural research will soon be established at RPCAU, according to vice-chancellor P S Pandey.
