Centre gears up for Muga Mission in Assam

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 16: To achieve a ten-fold increase in Muga production in as many years and to make muga cultivation stable enough to eke out a living, the governments at the Centre and in the State have geared up for a Rs 100-crore muga mission in the State. The Centre has already allocated Rs 100 crore for the implementation of Muga Mission in Assam.

Accordingly, preparations are afoot for a wild muga sanctuary at mbor Wildlife Sanctuary, a number of cocoon collection centres in districts and zones and an auction centre in Guwahati.

"For some genetic reasons the resistance power of Muga cocoon has decreased. Now on, wild muga will be crossed with their farm counterparts at mbor Wildlife Sanctuary. The cross will ensure increase of breeding and resistance power of the next generation. The Directorate of Sericulture has tied up with the Central Silk Board, Golaghat," said statistical officer PK Gogoi.

To address the problem of cocoons collection, cocoon collection centres will be set up in districts and an auction centre at Guwahati. "The revolving fund of the centres to be set up will be effective in providing the farmers standard prices for their products. The move will also cut transportation cost. A farmer gets Rs. 15,000 for a kg of muga and Rs 3000- 3500 a kg mulberry," Gogoi said.

For widespread cultivation of Muga, the State Government has also decided to rope in degraded forests lands for landless farmers, barren government lands and farms left abandoned in the State in return of ten per cent of their yield. Talks are also on with private muga farmers to part with their land, if they have any excess land.

State Sericulture Director Mukta Gogoi said that the aim of the Muga mission is to add value to cocoon production in the State. "The weavers should also know other values of muga cultivation, apart from yielding yarn. They should also have a fair knowledge of the market, pupas and their protein contents," Gogoi said, and added: "Muga plants die when submerged by water. This is an area for research to get rid of the problem. Talks are also on with the Centre to dwarf muga plants so as to prevent worms from going to high. Environmental problems continue to plague the Sericulture farm at Khapara in the city. Dust and fogging make worms die of presari, a kind of pest."

Gogoi said: "We've many constraints. Only 672 demonstrators we've under our disposal have to cover 10,000 villages in the State. Demonstrators are the ones who given technical guidance to the farmers on rearing. Their job is one of the most important ones in so far as muga cultivation is concerned."

The production of muga during fiscal 2016-17 was 110 metric tonnes against 127 metric tonmes in fiscal 2015-16. While the production of endi in fiscal 2016-17 was 2675.25 metric tonnes against 2554.78 metric tonnes in fiscal 2015-16, the production of mulberry raw silk in fiscal 2016-17 was 38 metric tonnes against 31 metric tonnes in fiscal 2015-16. The increase in raw silk production is attributed to moderate temperature during the winter.