CSB gives facelift to Eri silk in Eleventh five-year plan

Central Silk Board (CSB), the apex body of the Indian silk industry, has decided to give a facelift to Eri silk, the only silk that does not require killing the silkworms to get the fibre.

While other varieties of silks predominately produced in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the Eri culture has been practiced in the north and eastern parts of the country like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar. The emphasis is on making use of otherwise unutilised foliage of castor and tapioca plants grown for oil seed and tuber purposes, for Eri culture without affecting the main crop.

CSB has set a target to strengthen 50 Eri farm-cum-grainages, support construction of 2,000 rearing houses, provide start-up tools for 1,25,000 Eri farmers and augment Eri perennial food plants in 11,850 acre during the Eleventh five year Plan under Catalytic Development Programme (CDP).

These activities by CSB would be carried out jointly with the state governments. The board also would establish cocoon markets and Eri spun mills, while supplying 5,000 improved motorised Eri spinning wheels and provide market support to Eri silk products.

Already two Eri spun silk mills have been established at Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh and Kokrajhar in Assam while one more is coming up in Guhawati.

These mills will meet the growing demand for better quality mill spun Eri silk yarn that would be used to produce new products and fashion apparels.

As a part of Eri silk promotional activities, CSB has also taken up a collaborative project with Tirupur-based NIFT-TEA Knitwear Fashion Institute, which was promoted by Tiurpur Exporters Association, to develop and popularise new Eri silk knitwear that include sportswear, party wear and fashion products. Already about 100 such products have been introduced into the market, receiving a good response from the fashion and silk export community.

These initiatives, while providing silk lovers a new range of eco-friendly and natural products, would also ensure better revenue for the tribal populace that primarily practice Eri culture, CSB claimed.

Eri silk production during 2007-08 stood at 1,530 tonne, accounting for 73% of the total Vanya silk production of 2,075 tonne. By the end of the Eleventh Plan, CSB has projected that Eri silk production would touch 2,390 tonne.