To promote sericulture and enhance silk production in Punjab, reeling and cocoon storage units will be established in the state. Pathankot and Gurdaspur will be key districts under the mission “Har Ghar Resham,” to be launched to boost silk production and provide better opportunities for farmers.
This was expressed by Horticulture Minister Shri Mohinder Bhagat while chairing a review meeting with officials of the Horticulture Department at the Punjab Civil Secretariat on Thursday. During the meeting, it was highlighted that the Punjab Government is committed to promoting sericulture production and improving the living standards of silkworm farmers.
Additional Chief Secretary Horticulture Mr. Anurag Verma and Horticulture Director Mrs. Shailender Kaur were present at the meeting. It was shared that a Silk Expo was organized from 4th to 9th December 2024 at the Kisan Bhavan, Chandigarh. This event was aimed to boost sericulture production in the state and increase the income of silkworm farmers. The Central Silk Board has also agreed to provide support for this initiative in the upcoming years.
Mohinder Bhagat further informed that under the Punjab Government's efforts and the collaboration with HDFC Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility Fund Scheme (CSR), an initiative has been launched to provide support for silkworm seeds to farmers living below the poverty line, with a budget of ₹14.82 lakh. This will help increase interest of farmers in sericulture and improve the living standard of the farmers.
The scheme includes providing silkworm seed material to the farmers, which will further stimulate this industry. Under the CSR program, HDFC Bank will provide a grant of ₹51.17 Lakh for the installation of the reeling unit, which will help to produce silk threads from the cocoon. This unit will lead to a significant increase in income and create substantial benefits for the farmers.
Additionally, the Minister informed that the Punjab Government’s PHASE scheme will promote the cluster approach, focusing on educating and training farmers to become agricultural business entrepreneurs. To support this, interstate study tours will be conducted, with HDFC Bank’s CSR program providing necessary assistance.
This initiative marks an important step toward boosting sericulture and enhancing the economic development of Punjab’s rural areas. Present at the meeting were Deputy Director of Horticulture Shri Harmail Singh, Horticulture Development Officer Balwinderjit Kaur, Sericulture Promotion Officer Meenu Sidana and other senior officials.