Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani has said that India will be fully self-dependent in silk production in next two years.
Raw silk production in the country has increased 35 per cent in the last six years. It is pertinent to mention here that as per the official figures more than 90 lakh people have got employment in raw silk production.
Addressing the ‘National level programme on convergence of Agro-Sericulture and eradication of Thigh Reeling’, where the MOU was signed, the Minister informed that 8,000 women thigh reelers were identified for providing Buniyaad machines and 5,000 women have already been supported under Silk Samagra Phase I.
She said that for remaining 3,000 thigh reelers, fund provision has been made in order to eradicate unhygienic and obsolete Thigh Reeling practice from the country.
The Central Silk Board (CSB) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a convergence model for implementation of agroforestry in the silk sector under the ongoing Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) Scheme.
On this occasion, along with Smriti Irani, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Parshottam Rupala and Government officials were also present.
The signing of this MoU aims to incentivise the farmers to take up sericulture-based agroforestry models thereby contributing to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make for the World’ vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This linkage will add another dimension to agroforestry for faster returns to the growers as well as support the production of the range of silks that India is famous for.
The Textile Minister further stated that this MOU will increase the agricultural income from 20 to 30 per cent.
She said farmers’ income has almost increased to 60 per cent by adopting Agro Technical Textile. The consumption of agriculture-based technical textile will increase by involving Krishi Vigyan Kendra in creating awareness about Agro-tech and Technical textiles.
The Minister also added that this will lead the way for creation of new products