Financial Commissioner, Agriculture Production Department, Pramod Jain today visited Sericulture Nursery at Talab-Tillo to review its functioning.Director Sericulture, Dr Malik Farooq and other senior officers of the Sericulture Development Department accompanied the Financial Commissioner.While interacting with the field officers, Mr Jain emphasized the need of making the Nursery more productive with improvement in production of quality of mulberry saplings for distribution amongst farmers.While highlighting the project “Empowerment of Scheduled Caste Families through Sericulture under Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) in Jammu & Kashmir” sanctioned by Ministry of Textiles Govt. of India to enhance livelihood security in Udhampur and Kathua Districts of Jammu Division, FC said that under the project 300 families associated with cocoon production will be provided assistance for mulberry plantation, silk rearing kits and silkworm rearing house, assistance for construction of vermi-compost sheds, support for supply of rearing appliances, capacity building and training of cocoon farmers and IEC activities.
He added that these interventions will improve cocoon crop productivity and fetch good returns which will help in improving the socio-economic condition of the cocoon farmers. He further added that this project will create integrated & need based infrastructure support for sustainable Sericulture development for SC families.Later, Financial Commissioner visited Green Cocoon Auction Market organized by Sericulture Development department at Barnoti district Kathua. Buyers from West Bengal and also local silk reelers are participating in the market to purchase cocoons from cocoon rearers. In the market he interacted with cocoon rearers and buyers and was informed that cocoon rears are getting Rs 260 to Rs 325 per Kg for green cocoons. He stressed that there is still a great scope for improving the quality and productivity of cocoons and instructed the Department to formulate an action plan for Spring Rearing 2018 wherein 20% cocoon rearers should get an average productivity of 50 Kgs. per Ounce of Silkworm seed. He also directed that an action plan to supply quality mulberry saplings may be formulated to support the cocoon rearers to increase their capacity of silkworm rearing and cocoon production.