Silk worm shortage hits sericulture sector

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Oct. 30: Both the state and Central sericulture officials said today that privately licensed silk producers would be able to meet the acute crisis of silk worm eggs in Malda and other districts for the Aghrayani crop season.A scientist of the Central sericulture board in Malda, Mr Sudip Sen, said: “Licensed silk producers (LSP) have produced huge silk worm eggs of 'Jayarace' variety for the farmers for rearing silk worm here”. It may be noted that owing to bad weather, both Centre and state sericulture departments’ farmhouse could produce cocoons for collecting mother seed in West Bengal and high breed silkworm eggs in the state. Other sources could not produce such mother cocoons for producing silkworm eggs in last crop season. Mr Sen said: “At present, we have a shortage of silk worm eggs by 50 per cent due to bad weather in the last crop season, mainly in south Bengal. Our farm houses at Berhampur and Rampurhat in Birbhum could not produce cocoons for female moths though we had been able to collect other variety of cocoons (for male moths) from other states”. According to him, farmhouses of central silk board in Kaliaganj and Raiganj in North Dinjapur have been able to produce some mother seed to some extent. Nearly 75 lakh DFL (disease free laying) is required to meet up demand of the local farmers in this district. Out of that requirement we would be able to meet up 20 to 25 per cent. The rest would be depending on the state and private producers. According to the deputy director of state sericulture Mr. Bijan Mandal, the state officials have supplied 2.5 lakh DFL among the farmers. According to Mr. Mandal, one LSP Sahajahan has been able to procure 5 lakh eggs of 'Jayarace’ variety for this district from South India. Mr Sen said LSP used to cover more than 70 per cent demand of silkworm eggs in Malda, Birbhum and Murshidabad areas in every crop seasons. “There is no bar to procure Jayarace variety for private producer from different states. But we cannot procure Jayarace eggs officially and the cost of the eggs would be higher than the private producers here. The private producers are selling such Jayarace seeds here at Rs 250 per 100 DFL with a decent rate of profit”, Mr. Sen said. “At this moment of acute crisis of silkworm eggs for popular high breed variety the privately licensed producers can meet up the present 50 per cent shortfall by supplying other variety here”, said Mr. Sen.