Sericulture helps create rural employment
Monday, 2 July 2007
RAJSHAHI, July 1 (BSS): There is a bright prospect that sericulture can create employment for the rural people and alleviate poverty through its expansion and development by utilising existing natural resources.
As an agro-based and labour-intensive industry, sericulture can involve a huge number of people who depend on agriculture. Both male and female, irrespective of age, could be used in the silk cultivation.
Besides, silk cocoon and raw silk have been adjudged as cash crop like other agricultural crops and cereals.
Speakers made these observations while addressing a seminar titled "Sericulture: Technology, Invention and Field level Transfer" arranged by the Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute (BSRTI)" at its conference hall here Sunday.
BSRTI Director-in-Charge Abdul Aziz Sarker presented the keynote paper illustrating various activities and achievements of the institute regarding research and field level dissemination.
He said the BSRTI has innovated significant number of high- yielding mulberry plants, silk-cocoon races and sericulture and reeling technologies aimed at development and countrywide expansion of the silk industry.
Some 42 scientists from different research organisations like Bangladesh Sericulture Board, Rajshahi University, Agriculture Information Service, Department of Agriculture Extension, Department of Forest, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh Wheat Research Center and BCSIR attended the seminar.
Discussants said both the topographical and socio-economic conditions of the country are suitable for sericulture but its industrial sector could not flourish up to the expected level as yet due to various reasons.
They, however, said importance should be given to farmers- level transfer and dissemination of the high-yielding mulberry trees and silk- cocoons and other relevant technologies so far innovated in the laboratory researches.
Apart from this, stress should also be laid on proper uses of the plant varieties and modern technologies at the growers level that are very essential to attain cherished goals in this field.
Pioneer Silk Industrialist Sadar Ali, BCSIR Chief Scientific Officer Mosharraf Hossain and researchers Shafiqul Islam and Quamrul Ahsan took part in the open discussion, among others.
As an agro-based and labour-intensive industry, sericulture can involve a huge number of people who depend on agriculture. Both male and female, irrespective of age, could be used in the silk cultivation.
Besides, silk cocoon and raw silk have been adjudged as cash crop like other agricultural crops and cereals.
Speakers made these observations while addressing a seminar titled "Sericulture: Technology, Invention and Field level Transfer" arranged by the Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute (BSRTI)" at its conference hall here Sunday.
BSRTI Director-in-Charge Abdul Aziz Sarker presented the keynote paper illustrating various activities and achievements of the institute regarding research and field level dissemination.
He said the BSRTI has innovated significant number of high- yielding mulberry plants, silk-cocoon races and sericulture and reeling technologies aimed at development and countrywide expansion of the silk industry.
Some 42 scientists from different research organisations like Bangladesh Sericulture Board, Rajshahi University, Agriculture Information Service, Department of Agriculture Extension, Department of Forest, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh Wheat Research Center and BCSIR attended the seminar.
Discussants said both the topographical and socio-economic conditions of the country are suitable for sericulture but its industrial sector could not flourish up to the expected level as yet due to various reasons.
They, however, said importance should be given to farmers- level transfer and dissemination of the high-yielding mulberry trees and silk- cocoons and other relevant technologies so far innovated in the laboratory researches.
Apart from this, stress should also be laid on proper uses of the plant varieties and modern technologies at the growers level that are very essential to attain cherished goals in this field.
Pioneer Silk Industrialist Sadar Ali, BCSIR Chief Scientific Officer Mosharraf Hossain and researchers Shafiqul Islam and Quamrul Ahsan took part in the open discussion, among others.