The bio-resources of wild silk insects were presently under extreme threat, VL Chopra, national professor at the National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, said.

Delivering the key-note address at the four-day conference, Prof Chopra pointed out that wild silk culture was beset with meteorological and technical problems as well due to its operation in the wild.

Unlike mulberry sericulture, the wild silkworm, except eri, was mostly reared outdoors where it was exposed to the vagaries of climate, pests and predators, he said adding it accounted for 20 to 30 per cent crop loss in India alone.

Chopra's views were echoed by union textiles minister Kashiram Rana whostressed the need to upgrade the economic viability of non-mulberry sericulture through technical inputs.

Orissa chief minister JB Patnaik and industries minister Niranjan Patnaik also addressed the function.

About 150 delegates from China, Japan, Kenya and also from Europe are attending the conference, jointly organised by the International Socieity for Wild Silkmoths, the Central Silk Board and the Orissa government.

Chopra, a former director general of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (Icar), said that intensive efforts were need to produce improved breeds of silkworm.

He stressed on raising organised plantations for wild silk cultivation and extension of the efforts made during the seventh plan to raise 8000 hectares of Arjun bush plantation under the inter-state Tasar Development Programme.

Rana said that of the 160 identified species of non-mulberry silk producing insects, around 100 were found in India. But only three non-mulberry silks species- tasar, eri and muga - had been foundto be commercially useful.

Stating that use of wild silks in India was interwoven with tradition and culture and dated back to the past, Rana said that the total raw silk production in the country was of around 15,190 tonnes in 1997-98.

India was ranked next to China among the silk producing countries in the world with non-mulberry silk amounting to about eight per cent of the total raw silk production.

Though the production increased from 257 tonnes in 1950-51 to 1,155 tonnes in 1997-98, there was scope for further rise in output, he said.

Rana stressed the need for upgrading the economic viability of non-mulberry sericulture through technical inputs including appropriate package of practices.

Orissa chief minister JB Patnaik said that his government had identified sericulture as a thrust area for development as a large number of tribals were dependent upon tasar cultivation for their livelihood.

Tasar cultivation in Orissa was known since ancient times but it was only recently that scientificand controlled rearing through manmade plantations was being practised, he said while expressing the view that it should be made commercially more viable through better technology, management practices and end-use utilisation.

Orissa, Patnaik said, was home to modal, a natural tropical tasar which perhaps had the highest silk bearing cocoon in the world.

State industry minister Niranjan Patnaik said that tasar rearers in the state had been organised into 62 cooperative societies and affiliated to an apex society.

There were about 15,000 active tasar rearers in the state and the industry had a great potential for development of tasar and eri silk production.

The inaugural session was also addressed by Dr Hiromu Akai, president of the International Society for Wild Silkmoths, Japan, and H Ekanthaiah, chairman of the Central Silk Board.

The chief minister inaugurate an exhibition on tasar, eri and muga products at the venue of the conference.