GOALPARA, Jan 16 ? Although eri and muga culture has the potentiality to revolutionise the economy of Assam, lack of professionalism is hampering the growth of the silk industry in the State. So far Goalpara district is concerned, which has a history of rearing of eri and muga by the tribal population (mainly), sericulture is perhaps the only sector which can provide employment to thousands of persons and earn foreign exchange. Jogesh Deuri, an experienced extension officer of sericulture said this while delivering a talk on sericulture as an agro-industry, organised by zoology department of Goalpara College on January 7. Deuri lamented that in the last few decades, although much money had been spent in the name of uplift of the sector, lack of education and poverty of the traditional farmers came in the way of enhanced of quality and quantity of the queen of fabrics.
?Plantation of food plants, rearing, spinning and weaving being considered a part-time occupation by such peasants, we could hardly meet the local demand and enhancement of value addition by improving designs, colour combinations, finishing methods and boosting exports by diversifying into fashion dress materials and made-up remain neglected. ?As the entire North-East has immense potentiality in sericulture we should not continue to confine it as a labour-intensive, agro-based cottage industry but develop it taking advantage of the market opportunities available under GATT so that more and more local educated youths realize that the career opportunity of sericulture is no less lucrative than a white collar job and that it can fetch valuable foreign exchange,? Deuri said. Sri Deuri said that Goalpara has a good prospect in Muga and he urged the educated youths to take up muga culture on a commercial basis. In a bid to augment muga production in the district UNDP undertook a sub-programme in 1999-2000 which envisages not only fulfillment of the needs of the cultivators for disease-free laying but also offers financial and technical support and modern technology to rearers.
Moreover, Project Golden Thread was launched about three years back, which aims at development of muga silk in terms of quality and productivity, increased production of food plants, quality seed cocoon and raw silk, establishment of marketing linkage and human resource development. It aims at generating gainful employment among the poor and weaker sections, he added. Sri Deuri and Sri Hiren Kalita, assistant director of sericulture, Goalpara also answered a volley of questions put by the inquisitive audience on various aspects of sericulture.