A three-day 8th international conference on wild silk was organized by the International Society for Wild Silk Moths, Japan and Central Silk Board, where Union Minister of State for Textiles Ajay Tamta graced the event as the chief guest.
The minister while addressing the gathering said that since the North-East is the only region where all four varieties of silk such as muga, eri, tassar and mulberry are found, the ministry has decided to accord top priority to develop the silk sector as a viable option for livelihood in the Northeast.
The North-East region makes up about 21% of the country’s total silk production.
Assam owns the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for muga, which is known for its golden color and is found only in the Northeast region.
Northeast region so as to make the sector a sustainable source of livelihood for the people of the northeast region.
The main agenda of this conference is to highlight the importance of silk sector in the Northeast. About 15 representatives from different countries participated in this international conference.
Also speaking at the event was Ranjit Dutta, Assam’s Hand loom and Textile Minister who said that nearly 3.1 lakh families in Assam are associated with the silk sector.
A 60, 000-acre area is involved in silk production and plantations for plants for the silkworms.
Anant Kumar Singh, Secretary of the textiles ministry although appreciated Assam for being the third-largest silk producer also encouraged it to harness the potential of wild silk or vanya silk further. He also added that silk production sector can be one of the most effective tools for poverty alleviation in the Northeast region.
The centre has over the years sanctioned about 24 projects in silk sector worth Rs. 809 crore for the Northeast.

www.northeastindia.co