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Six new innovations to improve silk quality unveiled

Updated: Oct 24, 2013 05:55:50pm
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Bengaluru, Oct 24 (KNN)  As many as six new innovations focusing on improving the quantity and quality of silk production have been unveiled at a three-day national conference in sericulture technologies and the role of women that started here today.

Organised by the Karnataka State Sericulture Research and Development Institute (KSSRDI), the conference is a part of the government’s efforts to boost silk production.
Nearly 400 scientists are participating in the conference during which 350 research papers will be presented over 16 technical sessions, reports said.

There will also be an interactive session between farmers and scientists.

The department hopes to involve rural women in sericulture to enhance their livelihoods and at the same increase production.

With the state importing almost 10,000 tonnes of silk each year from China, the need to increase local production is immense.  About 65,000 hectares of land is currently available for sericulture in the state.  Further, while the national demand for silk each year is about 28,000 tonnes, Karnataka currently produces around 8,000 tonnes.

Contributing a lion share to silk production, Karnataka occupies a prominent place in the sericultural map of the country with well-established infrastructure facilities.

A need for developing region specific technologies was felt in all sectors of the industry, and to meet the Research and Developmental requirements of the sericulture spread over in all the districts of the State under different agroclimatic conditions.

KSSRDI was established by the Department of Sericulture, Government of Karnataka in 1981 under the World Bank assisted Karnataka Sericulture Project.

The institute has adequate infrastructure facilities such as well-equipped laboratories, sophisticated equipment and qualified scientists. The Institute has been conducting research on all aspects of sericulture right from soil to fabric besides the by-products.

The main object of the Institute is to carry out research on all aspects of sericulture industry with emphasis on various field related problems with a view to increase productivity with optimisation of input costs.

Towards this, it conducts research on mulberry, silkworm and post cocoon aspects; on-farm trials and frontline research for testing the technologies for their relevance prior to their release to different agroclimatic regions; seminars, group discussions, demonstrations, field shows etc for the transfer of Technology; and improves the technical/Human resources by conducting need based training programmes at different levels.  (KNN/ES)

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