Bangladesh intends to attain self-reliance in silk yarn production

21 Dec '10

2 min read

In order to attain self-reliance in the production of silk-yarn in the country, a project worth Tk 450 million has been taken up by Bangladesh Sericulture Board (BSB) in Rajshahi.

The implementation of the project is likely to be over within five years and once the project is accomplished, it is expected that the yearly production of silk yarn will touch the level of 200 metric tons. It is almost equivalent to the entire requirement of silk factories in Bangladesh.

Currently, silk factories of Bangladesh are bound to rely on the silk yarn which is imported mostly from China as well as India, because of the low manufacturing of silk fabric in the country.

Silk farmers of Bangladesh, currently, produce 40 metric tons of silk yarn against the annual requirement of 300 metric tons. Bangladesh, therefore, has to import nearly 260 metric tons of silk yarn every year.

The project is expected to generate employment for 8,000 people and the country would be in a position where it can save the precious foreign currency every year once the project is accomplished.

Sericulture Board has initiated several training programmes for farmers who are engaged in rearing silk-worms. BSB has invested Tk 125.4 million for one of the programmes which intended to increase the production of silk cocoons between 2008 and 2011. One more project worth Tk 300 million is likely to commence which will continue till 2014.

Under BSB, the Bangladesh Silk Research Institute is providing training to the silk farmers.

Around 23 silk villages are expected to be established and 75 silk-worm farmers are going to be trained from every village under the specified projects.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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