Aizawl: Mizoram has the potential to emerge as a major silk-producing state, CM Lalduhoma said on Monday, urging the sericulture department to prepare a substantial project to develop the sector.Chairing a review meeting of the department at the CM Conference Hall, Lalduhoma said strengthening sericulture was essential to the state’s development vision under Viksit Mizoram 2047, particularly as thousands of farmers were already engaged in the sector.He said the meeting was intended to understand the difficulties faced by department officials and field-level workers and find practical solutions to improve implementation.The chief minister also asked district-level officers to openly report their requirements and operational challenges. He assured them that the issues would be examined collectively and addressed in a spirit of cooperation.Mizoram currently has 7,040 sericulture farmers and had produced 53.826 metric tonnes of cocoons by Sept this year. The state govt has also increased its cocoon procurement price from Rs 300 to Rs 350 per kg.The department highlighted the govt’s support for the development of a sericulture cluster in Saitual district under the Handholding initiative. It also acknowledged the rural development department’s role in constructing large water tanks at two locations to support the cluster.Lalduhoma directed officials to submit a proposal to the planning department seeking assistance to buy refrigerators for storing cocoons produced by silkworm rearers, based on their requirements.Several centrally sponsored programmes are currently being implemented in the state. The Eri Cocoon and Yarn Production Cluster Development programme covers 120 farmers in Aizawl, Lunglei and Saitual districts. The Integrated Muga Sericulture Development in Mizoram programme covers 70 households in Aizawl and Saitual, while the Comprehensive Mulberry Value Chain Enhancement Project covers 60 farmers in the two districts.Minister for sericulture Lalthansanga, officials of the sericulture department, and representatives of the Finance and DP&AR departments attended the meeting.
