The Central Silk Board (CSB) under the aegis of the ministry of textiles and the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare has signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate a convergence model for implementation of agro-forestry in the silk sector under the ongoing sub-mission on agroforestry (SMAF) scheme. Union Textiles and Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Parshottam Rupala were present on the occasion.

The MoU aims to incentivize the farmers to take up sericulture based agroforestry models which in turn will boost the Make in India and Make for the World programmes. “This linkage will add another dimension to agroforestry for faster returns to the growers as well as support the production of the range of silks that India is famous for,” an official statement said.

The CSB will act as a catalyst to promote agroforestry in the silk sector. The special reeling machine required for tussar silk yarn have also been distributed to many beneficiaries.

Silk is one of the most sought out fabrics in the country. India has a variety of silks ranging from mulberry, tussar, muga and eri. The feeding habits of the cocoons determine the various types of silk. According to Indianmirror.com, the Indian silk industry is the second largest in the world, contributing about 18 per cent of the total global demand.

The sericulture industry, concentrated in the southern states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh besides Assam and West Bengal, states  employs over 700,000 farm families, the website said.