Historic RCC meet of Central Silk Board held in Assam marks a milestone for sericulture industry

The 69th Research Coordination Committee (RCC) meeting of the Central Silk Board (CSB), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, took place at the Assam Administrative Staff College, Guwahati on November 7-8, 2023. The significant event marked the first time the RCC meet was hosted outside the Central Silk Board headquarters in Bangalore.

Distinguished figures, including Chairperson Padmashri Dr. S Ayyappan, former DG-DARE, and Vice-chairperson P. Sivakumar, IFS, Member Secretary, CSB, graced the occasion. Experts from various disciplines in sericulture, the Director of Sericulture, Assam, Directors of CSB Institutes, and the Research Coordination Section (RCS) of CSB actively participated in discussions revolving around research, development, extension, capacity building, and the overarching challenges and opportunities facing the sericulture industry in the country.

The second day of the meeting witnessed a special interaction session with sericulture stakeholders from the Northeast region. Entrepreneurs, rearers, seed producers, reelers, and weavers from Assam, BTC Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, and Meghalaya engaged in a dialogue, addressing various industry issues and exploring opportunities for growth.

An important highlight of the event was the signing of a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CSB and Dr. Kalam Agriculture College, Kishanganj. The agreement aims to foster collaboration in sericulture research and education for the benefit of Bihar. The MoU was inked by Dr. S Manthira Moorthy, Director (Tech) from CSB, and Dr. K Sathyanarayana, Dean of DKAC, in the presence of the esteemed RCC Chairperson and Member Secretary of CSB.

Several publications were also released during the meeting, including "Spinning Gold - The success stories of Vanya cultivators," "Muga silkworm host plant and rearing management," "Challenges to triumph: Success stories of Muga & Eri culture," and "Cultivation of Eri host plants and eri silkworm rearing technology." These publications aim to provide valuable insights for industry stakeholders.

On November 9, the Member Secretary conducted a thorough review of the implementation status of the Silk Samagra-2 scheme and other sericulture activities in the Northeast region at the Muga Eri Silkworm Seed Organization (MESSO), Guwahati. The meeting, attended by CSB Directors, state sericulture officials, Nodal Officers/Scientists, and In-charges of Regional Offices of CSB, emphasized the importance of teamwork to achieve set objectives and targets.

This visit marked the first official visit of Hon’ble Member Secretary, CSB, to the state after assuming office. P. Sivakumar, an influential Indian Forest Service Officer of the Assam-Meghalaya Cadre, played a pivotal role in revitalizing the sericulture industry in the entire Northeast and the country at large.