BSDB implementing TK 96.83cr sericulture promotion schemes

Publish | 07 Dec 2021, 17:19

Online Desk

Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board (BSDB) has been implementing three projects involving around Taka 96.83 crore for improving living and livelihood condition of the grassroots people particularly the distressed women through substantial and sustainable development of the traditional silk sector.

Headquartered in Rajshahi, the BSDB is implementing the projects almost throughout the country particularly the potential regions for the silk worm farming and rearing for achieving sustainable development goals in light of the government's seventh Five Year plan.

BSDB Director General Abdul Hakim said the projects will supplement the government efforts of building social safety net with transforming the villages into towns in phases upon successful implementation of those by 2023.

Main objective of the five-year project titled "Sericulture Extension and Development" is to generate employment of around 50,000 hardcore poor and landless women for elevating their socio-economic condition through involving them in sericulture.

Another five-year project styled "Poverty Reduction in Hilly Chattogram Districts through Extension and Development of Sericulture" is being implemented in the hilly districts for freeing around 15,000 extreme poor and landless women from poverty through their engagement in silk-related income generation activities.

Apart from this, 15,000 poor and distressed women will get scope of improving their living and livelihood condition through intervention of another five-year project titled "Poverty Reduction in Greater Rangpur districts through Extension of Sericulture".

Hakim said 620-bigha mulberry-cultivated land will be developed for production of 23.5 lakh silk-eggs and distribution another 23 lakh saplings among the farmers through implementation of the projects.

"We are going to establish 37 ideal silk villages and 500 mulberry blocks," he said, adding that 43,000-kilogram silk-cocoons will be purchased from the growers.

More than 4,800 farmers will be given support for silk-rearing and 6,300 others will get necessary assistance for mulberry transplantation.

Under the schemes, 7,700 farmers will be given training on mulberry plants rearing, silkworm nursing and yarn reeling.

Six chawki rearing-cum-display centres and one silk reeling weaving
training centre will be built.

Hakim said the government has taken initiative to revive the silk industry.

Market promotion works are also being progressed. The sericulture and silk industry, by its nature, is a family based labor-intensive economic activity that provides employment for the rural people.

He said initiative has been taken to re-launch the Rajshahi and Thakurgaon Silk Factories fully. Five looms in Rajshahi Silk Factory have already re- introduced.

At least 15 metric tons of silk yarn could be manufactured along with job creation for around 10,000 people if we can re-run all the 58 looms in the two state-owned factories, he added.

He said sericulture has a huge prospect if it is nurtured properly as there is a huge potential export market for silk.

Hakim, however, said BSDB has a plan for bringing Chinese experts to train the local farmers that will help boost silk production.

Source: BSS