Promoting a natural silk industry

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BANGLADESH has very suitable weather conditions for the growing of mulberry plants and the rearing of silkworms. The two conditions are basic requirements for the production of natural silk which has big demand in the markets of the developed countries and in Japan. According to export assessment, Bangladesh can earn huge amounts of foreign currencies by exporting both natural silk in large volumes and much more through value-addition by making apparels and other products out of the silk and exporting the same. The earnings from silk in that case can be substantial. However, at the outset, some initial investments will have to be made in rearing quality silkworms and also care will have to be exercised to grow high quality mulberry plants to maximise production and ensure quality.
But everything must be guided under a policy framework. The government needs to adopt a 'silk policy' at the outset and all activities should be guided by it to deliver results in line with the policy. The BSB should much extend its pilot sericulture programmes all over the country. The programmes should seek to involve large scale participation of specially rural women in the production of raw silk under numerous cottage industry-type of ventures. On the other hand, private entrepreneurs will have to be made interested to set up industries to use the silk to be produced. They entrepreneurs will need to be assisted in a myriad of ways from technical assistance to marketing information for export.
Harunur Rashid
Gulshan, Dhaka