Photos

                                     Mulberry based sericulture in Kangra district is a land-based activity with good potential for generating productive employment. It has several advantages such as labour intensive nature, low capital investment, short gestation period, and good market. Considering the dimension of the unemployment situation in particularly in the rural areas, diversification of economic activities for self employment has become very important. Generally farmers of the district are adopting agriculture and sericulture simultaneously for their income. In its production process, sericulture & silk industry makes a long chain of inter dependent specialized operations like raising good plants of mulberry, silk seed production, silkworm rearing, cocoon reeling, twisting, weaving, printing, dyeing, finishing and marketing etc., which can provide means of livelihood to a large section of the rural population. Mulberry trees grown on the waste land as a result it has no competition with agriculture lands. Therefore rural people are adopting mulberry tree plantation as it gives multi-benefits, besides yielding leaf feed for the silkworms.

Besides, income by producing silk cocoons it has bye-products value also such as mulberry wood, silkworm's litter, silk-waste and pupae etc., basket are made from its branches and pupae waste is a very nutritious food for poultry and fishery. In this way it provide side business to the farmers through out the year and is a very good income generation avocation.
       

Intervention and process:                                                                Back to Top

                Though the farmers were already engaged in rearing silkworms before on set of ATMA in the district, yet they were doing this activity in a scattered form. ATMA motivated the farmers to form group of sericulture and adopt this activity in compact form in groups through organizing awareness cum trainings camps in the villages. In these camps technical guidance about modern technology in raising healthy mulberry plantation, quality silk production and silk rearing was given to the farmers by the expert of the sericulture departments. As a result during the first year 10 FIGs were formed and 230 farmers/ farm women were involved. Demonstration and exposure visits of the farmers to the silk cocoon production units were also conducted. Sh. Krishan Kumar of Lamba Goan block & Sh. Desh Raj in Behri of Rait block came forward to adopt this activity on a large scale in the first instance. They earned Rs. 25000-30000 during the first year by selling quality silk cocoon and its by products have additional income other than agriculture income. Sh. Isha Mohammad of Bhadwar village in Nurpur Block also adopted this activity on large scale and earned an additional income worth Rs. 45000 during the year.

During the 2nd year (2003), other farmers adopted this avocations, as a result of motivation by ATMA by 8 nos awareness cum trainings camps and 45 nos of FIGs sericulture were formed and 10 FIGs leading group leaders including BTTs sericulture were send on exposure visit to Mysore to undertake Chawki silk worm rearing training. This training was proved very useful for the quality silk produce and increasing the production. These group leader further disseminated the learnt technology to other FIGs in the blocks. ATMA Kangra organized exposure visits cum awareness training camps of other 10 FIGs/WIGs to the success story sites of sericulture.

Sh. Desh Raj of Behri village in Rait block emerged as a leading sericulture group leader as started a silk Udyog unit named M/s Abhishek Silk Udyog with multi end silk rearing machine of six basins with capacity to produce 20000 kg silk cocoon. He produce 2400 kg raw silk yarn in that unit during first year. This unit was facing problems of inferior quality production of raw silk and selling of its produce, At this, ATMA Kangra took initiative and sent Sh. Desh Raj on exposure visit cum training to Karnataka (Mysore) to take the training to improve the quality of silk produce and getting the knowledge of marketing. He brought one master skill person, who trained 10-12 workers of his unit regarding quality raw silk production. At present this unit is running on profit and a success story of sericulture in the district.
The mulberry trees are pruned every years to improve the quality of the leaf feed to silk worm rearing. The branches of these plants were not use for any purpose except as fuel wood. ATMA Kangra felt that these branches could be used for good quality and durable basket making. Which was also made in other state like Punjab. ATMA organized training programme in basket making by inviting master craft man from Punjab at four places namely Bhadwar, Nagrota Bagwan, Rajpr and Dehra, thereby benefiting 90 FIGs/WIGs members and unemployed youth. They took this skilled training from the master craft man under the supervision of BTTs members and started basket making at different places and thus earned an additional income 4500-5000 per. Pupae are a nutritious feed for poultry and fishery. Sericultural farmers are selling this by product to fishery department & FIGs fisheries and earned a good amount.

At present 60 FIGs, WIGs have started this income generating avocation thereby benefiting more than 1500 farmers. The other farmers /farm women and unemployed youths are adopting this avocation on large scale in different areas of the district.

Benefits                                                                                               Back toTop

Sericulture farmers who were trained in mulberry basket making are earning approx.Rs.4500/- on an average per annum as an additional income in the beginning by selling of mulberry baskets. Thus the total economic activity was generated by FIGs (Sericulture) in the district to the tune of Rs. 2-2.5 lakhs.
Silk reeling unit earned only Rs.1.60 lakh at average production of 1 Kg yarn from 10 kg silk cocoons during the year 2001. Improved its earning to Rs.5.15 lakh at an average production of 1 Kg. raw silk from 8.5 Kg. silk cocoons in second year 2002.
Through quality improvement in processing and better market tie-up, the gross economic gains under this activity has increased to the extent of Rs. 10.5 lakh in the 3rd year(2003-04) by this unit.
With the quality production of silk cocoons and market tie up, the small and marginal farmers are adopting sericulture as an income generating avocation.
The pupae of silkworm also utilized by FIGs (fishery) as a fish feed thereby creating an additional income from by- product.
Lesson Learned                                                                                   Back to Top

Replication Process                                                                          Back to Top

                                                Silk "The queen of fibers" is admired by peoples the world over and silk and silk products are always in great demand. Silk production, is an agro-industry, playing an eminent role in the rural economy of India.Today, despite of onslaught of man made fibers, silk continues to reign supreme due to its elegance, smoothness and luster. Himachal Pradesh is noted countrywide for production of quality bivoltine silk cocoons. District Kangra shares 17.5% silk cocoons of total production in the state. Endowed with favorable conditions for mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing in the Sub-mountain and low-hills sub-tropical zone (AES-1 and AES-2) and mid-hill sub-humid zone (AES-3 to 5) of the district, which comprises of 75.4%, of total district's area has a great potential for sericulture development. Presently, some 1250 rural families spread in 260 villages are practicing sericulture in the district that is producing approximately 30,000 Kg silk cocoons from two crops in a year. Inferences drawn from above interventions will be useful in the existing and new sericulture areas of the district and the state. All concerted efforts are being made by ATMA and other stakeholders for rapid replication of the technology for additional income generation.
 

 Case Study                                                                                     Back to Top

  Initiation

• Although farmers are rearing silkworm yet in scatted places and facing   marketing problem, but ATMA took initiative for formation of groups for silk Cocoon production and easy marketing.

•  Awareness cum training camps were organized by BTTs regarding formation of groups, quality silk cocoon production, basket making, silk reeling and marketing

•  Exposure visits of farmers FIGs/WIGs and unemployed youth were organized to adopt this avocation on large scale.

• Demonstrations on mulberry basket making were also organized  to the FIGs/WIGs for earning an additional income

• Exposure visits cum training of 20 leading FIGs/WIGs leader including        BTTs sericulture were organized to Mysore in Karnatka State for Chawki silk rearing.

•  Silk reeling unit at Bheri Gagal of Rait block was made functional by   ATMA motivation regarding quality raw silk production and the quality silk cocoon was collected from FIGs/WIGs of the district by the said unit on regular basis.  

Current Situation:

•   60 Figs sericulture have been formed in the different blocks of the district.

•  The silk reeling unit at Gagal Behri of Rait block has earned an income worth Rs. 10.5 lacs per annum and providing employment more than 15 person on regular basis.

• The FIGs/WIGs  members are earning an income Rs.  25000-30000 each per annum form this avocation in addition to their other activities.

•  The Pupae of silk worm also utilized as fish feed by FIGs fishery and thus FIGs sericulture are getting additional income by selling the pupae.

•  FIGs sericulture is also getting additional income Rs. 4500-5000 per season from mulberry basket making .

• Exposure visits and training of 20 Leading group leaders including BTTs sericulture have been conducted at Mysore in Karnatka State for Chawki silk rearing/quality silk cocoon production and marketing .

• More FIGs sericulture would be formed in other sericulture areas in the district.

• Farmers will be encouraged  regarding silk worm rearing/ silk cocoon production being a short duration crop with low capital investment for additional income generation by providing easy loan facility.

• Healthy disease free mulberry plants should be supplied by the sericulture department for quality  silk cocoon production.

• More awareness cum training camps & exposure visit  to success story sites should be organized by BTTs.

• Silk cocoon collection centre should be established for marketing on competitive rates.

• More silk reeling units should be established in public/private sector so that the cocoon should be sold by FIGs/WIGs on competitive rates to the silk production unit.