The Sericulture Development Department today held interactive sessions with the silkworm rearers at Larh, Chanunta and Barta areas of Udhampur district.Over a hundred rearers mostly belonging to scheduled caste category attended the sessions.Director Sericulture Gulzar Ahmad Shabnum, District Sericulture Officer Udhampur Subash Chander Gupta, Sericulture Assistants and other functionaries of the Department interacted with the participants. The purpose of holding the sessions was to reach out to the silkworm rearers to have the first-hand appraisal of their problems and seek feedback on incentives and facilities extended to them by Sericulture Development Department for increasing the cocoon production.During the interaction, the rearers highlighted the issues confronting them during the silkworm rearing and put forth their suggestions with regard to extension of the mulberry plantation, provision of quality seed and green foliage, improving chawki rearing, drying and marketing facilities, besides augmenting the rearing capabilities of the rearers.
Director Sericulture said that the Department has initiated various measures to upgrade the facilities for rearers and every effort was being made to explore resources for creation of dependable infrastructure on modern lines to increase the quality and production of cocoon. He said that under the centrally-sponsored scheme ‘Silk Samagra’ various incentives including construction of rearing sheds, chawki rearing centers, provision of rearing kits, mountages and Spray Pumps are provided free of cost to the silkworm rearers.Under Scheduled Cast Sub Plan (SCSP) project, 56 rearing sheds at a unit cost of Rs.1.25 lack with 10% beneficiary share are under construction along with three Chawki rearing centers at a unit cost of Rs. 10 lakh for the benefit of silkworm rearers belonging to SC category, he informed.The Director Sericulture asked the rearers to make best use of the facilities and incentives available to them under the scheme to increase their produce.Later, the Director Sericulture inspected the ongoing Mulberry plantation and vegetative propagation work in various areas of the district.