National Silkworm Seed Organisation (NSSO) and Central Sericulture Research and Training Institute (CSRTI), part of Central Silk Board (CSB), came out with several recommendations after extensive research for the promotion of seed cocoon segment in India, a top official of NSSO said.
Talking to FE, NSSO director SB Dandin said that three traditional silk states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh should amend their seed Act to allow direct link between seed cocoon grower and seed producer.
Citing the research outcomes of NSSO and CSRTI, he said linking the egg production unit to selected seed rearers was mandatory for specific units to enable constant quality upgrading.
Further, he suggested lot-wise allotment of required quantity of seed cocoons to each seed producer rather than distributing small quantities from different lots. In addition, he stressed for providing additional service support and assistance to seed rearers and assistance for establishment of large scale composite egg production units for both bivoltine and cross breed with financial assistance for cold storage and moth preservation.
He also suggested uniform policy for egg certification and price fixation so as to provide a level-playing ground for all the stakeholders especially Licensed Seed Producers (LSPs). Karnataka dominated in seed cocoon production currently.