Shillong, Aug 31: As part of the ongoing ‘Mera Resham Mera Abhimaan’ (MRMA) campaign, initiated by the Central Silk Board (CSB), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, a series of capacity-building programmes for sericulture farmers were organized in Ri-Bhoi district.
An Awareness Programme on Innovative Technologies in Sericulture was held at Sohnidan village on August 27, followed by a Demonstration on Eri Technologies at Patharkhmah the following day.
The events were jointly organized by the CSB-Muga Eri Silkworm Seed Organization (MESSO), P-3 Unit, Nongpoh, in collaboration with the District Sericulture Office, Ri-Bhoi, and witnessed an enthusiastic participation of 236 sericulture farmers, despite continuous rainfall in the region. The programmes aimed to create awareness among farmers on innovative technologies in sericulture, with a strong focus on improved Muga and Eri silkworm rearing practices, host plant cultivation, and their role in sustainable sericulture development.
Welcoming the gathering, Abhishek Singh, Scientist-C, CSB-MESSO, Nongpoh, underlined the importance of adopting scientific methods in Muga and Eri silkworm rearing. He highlighted systematic host plant management strategies such as timely plantation, pruning, and soil fertility management as key to achieving higher yields and profitability. He urged farmers to increase their DFLs rearing capacity and conduct more rearings in a year, thereby transforming sericulture from a traditional activity into a profitable and rewarding livelihood option.
Addressing the participants, RB Lyngwa, District Sericulture Officer, Ri-Bhoi, lauded the joint efforts of the Central Silk Board and the State Sericulture Department in bringing farmer-oriented programmes to the grassroots. She stressed on the immense potential of Ri-Bhoi district in sustainable sericulture development and encouraged farmers to adopt improved rearing and host plant management practices. She also elaborated on various government schemes designed to benefit sericulture farmers and urged them to utilize these opportunities for scaling up production.
The programme also included an interactive session, where farmers discussed challenges related to pest control, host plant care, and disease prevention. Experts responded with practical solutions and assured continued technical support to the farmers. To strengthen learning, technology pamphlets were distributed, offering easy-to-follow guidelines, best practices, and location-specific insights, empowering farmers to adopt scientific practices effectively at the field level.
This initiative not only enhanced the technical skills and confidence of Muga and Eri farmers, but also fostered unity and collaboration within the farming community. The strong turnout of farmers, despite adverse weather conditions, reflects their commitment to adopting modern technologies.
