Bright prospect prevails to revive prestigious silk sector
Saturday, 2 January 2010
RAJSHAHI, Jan 1 (BSS): A bright prospect has been prevailing for reviving the prestigious silk sector of the country.
President of Bangladesh Silk Industry Owners' Association Monzur Faruque Chowdhury told the news agency that the prospect has been created due to abnormal price hike of foreign silk yarn.
He said that this was high time to promote the domestic silk yarn through increasing its substantial production. "If we could habituate the silk industry owners in using the domestic yarn the cocoon farmers would be encouraged in enhancing the native production," he added.
He said the industry owners could be discouraged in importing the foreign yarn. He emphasised on running the factories using domestic yarn and said steps should be taken to raise domestic production of yarn.
The grassroots mulberry and sericulture farmers consisting above 70 per cent women would be happy to go back to their ancestral profession if the silk sector was revitalised, he added.
He said the country produces hardly 40 tonnes of yarn against the annual demand of 300 tonnes. "There is no alternative to bringing back the cocoon farmers to their ancestral profession to protect the traditional silk sector from degradation", he added.
He called for launching a simple interest-rate loan for the sericulture farmers to grow their interest in this field.
He said around 1500 tonnes of silk yarn were being produced in only the adjacent Malda district of India. Similarly, he said, only Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj were capable of producing the same amount of yarn if the sector gets necessary help from the government.
Monzur said the nation could export additional yarn after meeting the domestic demand of 300 tonnes. The silk sector could not be protected depending upon only the imported yarn, he said.
President of Bangladesh Silk Industry Owners' Association Monzur Faruque Chowdhury told the news agency that the prospect has been created due to abnormal price hike of foreign silk yarn.
He said that this was high time to promote the domestic silk yarn through increasing its substantial production. "If we could habituate the silk industry owners in using the domestic yarn the cocoon farmers would be encouraged in enhancing the native production," he added.
He said the industry owners could be discouraged in importing the foreign yarn. He emphasised on running the factories using domestic yarn and said steps should be taken to raise domestic production of yarn.
The grassroots mulberry and sericulture farmers consisting above 70 per cent women would be happy to go back to their ancestral profession if the silk sector was revitalised, he added.
He said the country produces hardly 40 tonnes of yarn against the annual demand of 300 tonnes. "There is no alternative to bringing back the cocoon farmers to their ancestral profession to protect the traditional silk sector from degradation", he added.
He called for launching a simple interest-rate loan for the sericulture farmers to grow their interest in this field.
He said around 1500 tonnes of silk yarn were being produced in only the adjacent Malda district of India. Similarly, he said, only Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj were capable of producing the same amount of yarn if the sector gets necessary help from the government.
Monzur said the nation could export additional yarn after meeting the domestic demand of 300 tonnes. The silk sector could not be protected depending upon only the imported yarn, he said.