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    Introduction

    • Sericulture is an industry that helps to raise the economic level of the people in the rural areas, has a huge potential for employment generation, provides more benefits to the agricultural allied activities and farmers in a short period of time and also provides foreign exchange. The geographical situation and climate of Maharashtra are conducive to the sericulture industry, and this industry can definitely help the farmers to compensate for the economic losses in agriculture due to the vagaries of the current climate. The silk industry in the state of Maharashtra includes production of cocoons by cultivation of silkworms on mulberry and Ain/Arjuna trees and production of cocoons, producing of yarn, production of cloth and processing of cloth etc.

    • The sericulture industry provides a supplementary business to the farmers and yields more than other traditional crops. At the same time, the employment opportunities are available in the rural areas to the landless people, agricultural labourers with small landholding farmers, well-educated unemployed and women.

    • Since the environment in the state is seen to be conducive to the silk industry and there is a large scope for the development of the silk industry in the state, the government has undertaken a program for the overall development of the silk industry. For this, Directorate of Sericulture has been established under the administrative control of Textiles Department since September 1997 and the responsibility of silk industry development lies with Directorate of Sericulture.

    • In such a unique industry, the state of Maharashtra is at the forefront of the non-traditional state and two types of silk such as mulberry and tasar are produced in the state. Mulberry sericulture in 10 districts of Pune division, 8 districts of Ch. Sambhajinagar division, 5 districts of Amravati division and 4 districts of Nagpur division produce it in total 27 districts. At present 17521 farmers have planted mulberry on 18607 Acres and 4903 M. Tons of mulberry silk cocoons have been produced and from that 754 M. Tons of silk yarn will be produced.

    • Apart from this, Tasar silk industry has been running for about 300 years in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gondia districts. Tasar silk production is a traditional industry and the people of Dhiwar community earn their living by producing tasar silk from Ain/Arjun trees in the forest. From the year 1959- 60 to 17 February 1967, the Tasar silk industry was being implemented through the Industries Department and thereafter through the Maharashtra State Khadi Village Industries Board. From 1983-84, the Tasar silk industry was being implemented through the Vidarbha Development Corporation. After that, after the integration of all the three departments related to silk on September 1, 1997, Tasar Silk Development Scheme is being implemented in the state through Directorate of Sericulture.

    • Tasar silk industry is a forest-based industry and leaves of Ain/Arjun trees are the main food of tasar silkworms. Ain trees are naturally available in 17419 ha. of forest area in 180 villages of four districts namely Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gondia. This area belongs to the Forest Department and has been made available to the beneficiaries for traditional rearing. Apart from this there is divisional cultivation of ain/arjuna in 1100 hectares. But as the area of ​​the tiger reserve is increasing, it has become difficult to make the forest available to the tasar beneficiaries. As a result, due to high population/number of tigers, the forest is not available to the beneficiaries for rearing tasar silkworms. Taking this matter into consideration, it is directed to submit a proposal to the Cabinet to increase the number of Ain/Arjuna trees in the forest in order to provide employment to the beneficiaries of Tasar cocoon producers and to increase the production of Tasar silk. Efforts are underway through the Forest Department. This is definitely going to be beneficial for increasing the tasar cocoon production in the state.

    • At present, the total land demarcated by the forest department in 4 districts is 18519 Ha. The area is under plantation of Ain and Arjun trees. Out of which the area under Directorate of sericulture is 1100 ha, the area under Forest Department is 15670 ha. And the area under revenue department is 1749 Ha. This is a total of 18519 Ha. Ain and Arjun trees are under cultivation. 183 lakh tasar cocoons was produced in the state last year and since then 10 M.T. Tasar silk yarn has been produced and this has created 15 lakh man-days of employment generation.