Lakhimpur District

Official Website of Lakhimpur District, Assam, India

Sericulture

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Sericulture in Lakhimpur :

Lakhimpur district is one of the major silk producing districts of Assam. The congenial climatic condition and suitable soil texture bestow it an optimum biosphere enriched with more than 380 species of host food plants for different sericigenous insets like Eri (Philosamia richini), Muga (Antheraea assama), Mulberry (Bombyx mori) etc, which are conventionally reared up in the district since time immemorial. Due to its well flourished natural vegetation, this district has remarkable entity of various rare species of wild silk moth such as Attacus atlas (Kotrori Muga), Actias seleni (Moon moth), Antheraea pernyi (Chines Tasar moth), Antherea mylita (Tassar), Samia cynthia (Ailanthus moth) etc in its potent Bio-diversity. Commercial exploitation of some of these non-conventional silk worm species are yet to be ascertained.
Rearing of Silks worms and its exploitation for elegant fabrication is one of the salient features of enriched agro and cultural heritage of the district. For this reason sericulture is considered as the most prominent and most common livelihood of it, next to Agriculture. It contributes 25% to 30% of total domestic production of Assam, as far Silk is concerned. Large scale production of fabulous golden yellow Muga Cocoon and yarn, creamy white Eri Cocoon and yarn and Silvery Mulberry Silk yarn (Keccha Pat) is now becoming an identity of the District.

Present Status of Sericulture in Lakhimpur District :

Resource & Manpower :

(a) Nos. of Seri. Villages : 716 Nos.
(b)Nos. of Seri. Families :
    (i) Eri Rearers : 9,030 Nos.
    (ii) Muga Rearers : 7,571 Nos.
    (iii) Mulberry Reeler : 14,441 Nos.
(c) Reelers and Spinner : 4,500 Nos.
(d) Silk Weaver : 3,000 Nos.
(e) Area Under Plantation in Private Sector :
    (i) Eri : 750.50 Hect.
    (ii)Muga : 1,385.80 Hect.
    (iii)Mulberry : 782.20 Hect.
(f) Nos. of SHG involved in Seri. activities : 74 Nos.
(g) Nos. of NGO involved in Seri. activities : 6 Nos.
Govt. Institutions :
  1. Govt. Muga Farm : 2 Nos.

  2. Mulberry Seri Farm : 2 Nos.

  3. Govt. Eri Seed Farm : 1 No.

  4. Muga Village Grazing Reserve : 6 Nos.

  5. Collective Mulberry Garden : 5 Nos.

  6. Eri Concentration Center : 1 No.

  7. Muga Som Nursery : 1 No.

  8. Reeling Unit : 3 Nos.

  9. Cocoon Marketing Center : 1 No.

Active Entrepreneurs :

(A) Seri-Fed Primary Co-Operative Society, Ghilamara) :
A Common platform of the Muga growers of the district with well organized infrastructures to exploit end products and its marketing, by organizing the Muga Farmers at various levels.
  • Schematic Cost : 27.00 Lakhs. (RSVY Fund, 2009-10) an infrastructural support from DRDA.
  • Total Muga Rearers : 1,000 Nos.
  • Reelers : 40 Nos.
  • Weaver : 20 Nos.
  • Artisan : 2 Nos.
  • Presently this society procures 10.00 lakhs Muga Reeling cocoons and produces 200 Kg Muga fine yarn, and 3,000 R/M plain and diversified, golden yellow pure Muga fabrics for marketing.
(B) NGO, Adarsha Seva Sangha, Dholpur :
A prominent NGO devoted for rejuvenation of traditional Eri culture in the Lakhimpur District by augmenting the production of Eri cocoon, processing, value addition and marketing.
  • Working Capital : 5.00 Lakh.
  • Skill up gradation & Machineries : 3.96 Lakh.
  • Total Spinner : 100 Nos.
  • Weaver : 20 Nos.
  • Artisan : 2 Nos.
  • Marketing Agent : 100 Nos.
  • Presently the NGO procures and process 30.0 tones of Eri cocoon annually from the local producers affording a better Market Avenue. 10% of the purchased materials are being processed for production of diversified Eri fabric locally under value addition programme.

Glimpses of Sericulture activities in Lakhimpur

Photo Credit: Sericulture Department, Lakhimpur District