Project Mm

HISTORY OF SILK •

Silk fabric was first developed in ancient China, possibly as early as 6000 BC and definitely by 3000 BC.

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The first evidence of the silk trade is the finding of silk in the hair of an Egyptian mummy of the 21st dynasty, 1070 BC.

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Silk is produced in Thailand's most favorable climate by two types of silkworms, the cultured Bombycidae and wild Saturniidae, all the year round, mostly after the rice harvest by villagers from the southern and northeast parts of the country.

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Silk has a long history in India and is widely produced today. Historically silk was used by the upper classes, while cotton was used by the poorer classes. Today silk is mainly used in Bhoodhan Pochampally (also known as Silk City), Kanchipuram, Dharmavaram, Mysore, etc. in South India and Banaras in the North for manufacturing garments and Sarees. "Murshidabad silk", famous from historical times, is mainly produced in Malda and Murshidabad district of West Bengal and woven with hand looms in Birbhum and Murshidabad district.

 Symbol of AUTHENTICITY  Govt. of INDIA and Central Silk Board, India has decided to launch “SILK MARK” on 17th June, 2004.  Presently 850 Authorized users of Silk Mark in India & more than 5 million products have already been sold.  Range of SILK MARK products1. Raw silk 2. Silk Yarn 3. Silk Fabrics 4. Silk Sarees 5. Silk Garments 6. Silk Carpets

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There are separate Directorates for sericulture in Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland whereas in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Tripura, the sericulture activities are being looked after by the textiles and Handicrafts, Department of Forest, Environmental and Wildlife Management & Department of Handlooms, Handicrafts and Sericulture respectively. At present there are 5,826 numbers of personnel employed in sericulture department in the North Eastern states . This region of the country is a substantial producer of different kinds of silk and produces about 10% of the total natural silk produced in India. The weaving style of Assam is so unique that everyone falls in love with it. Mahatma Gandhi termed Assamese women as the “Weaving Wizard, that Weaves Dreams”. As many as 28000 families are known to be associated with the culture of Muga silk in the state.

Production of Raw Silk in North Eastern India  During the year 2006-07, 1653.55 tones of raw silk were produced by the NE states .  NE region produces about 10% of the total natural silk produced in India . Assam is the fifth largest producer of the mulberry silk in India .

Business potential  1. This is more labour intensive and therefore

employment opportunity is more.  2. Sericulture industry constitutes an important

aspect and holds a unique position in the economy of Assam.  3. In the last five years both central Govt. and State

Govt. announced some new industrial policy like NE Industrial policy which facilitates entrepreneurs in various ways to start export from North East.

PRODUCTION HOUSE OF ASSAM- SUALKUCHI  Imports raw Silk from Bangalore & Tauss from Bhagalpur, Bihar & Calcutta. 

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Authorities of Kamrup has decided to set up a fashion institute in collaboration with National Institute of Fashion Technology. It is now known as Sualkuchi Institute of Fashion Technology.

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Unacceptance to the modern technology is the reason for the failure of finding market to the products produced here.

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Primary criteria in the old society for girls to get married.

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Presently in this Silk industry 17.2 Lakhs weavers are engaged producing only 160 million meters of silk only, against its huge demand of 370 million meters.

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DIFFERENT PRODUCTS PRODUCED IN ASSAM : (A) Eri Silk Shawl (B) Silk Sarees © Silk Carpets (D) Silk Kurtas (E) Silk Cushion Cover (F) Silk Payjama etc.

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 Price

range of different products

Patar mekhela-sadar =1500-15000 & above.  Mugar Mekhla-sadar =3000-25000 & above.  Kanji pat= 2200-8000 & above. 

PROMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF SILK 

Woven Mystery 7th September, 2008 at Sarusajai stadium.

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Celebrity Endorsement: NISHITA GOSWAMI, BARASA RANI BISHAYA.

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Entrepreneur Training Camp by NEDFi.

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ANNANYA PACHANI,

Research & Developmental programmes by Central Silk Board: @ CENTRAL MUGA ERI RESEARCH & TRAINNING INSTITUTE (CMER&TI) LAHDOIGARH (b) REGIONAL MUGA RESEARCH STATION (RMRS), BOKO © REGIONAL ERI RESEARCH STATION (RERS), MENDIPATHAR (d) REGIONAL SERICULTURE RESEARCH STATION (RSRS), JORHAT (e) REGIONAL TASSAR RESEARCH STATION, IMPHAL (f) DEMONSTRATION CUM TECHNICAL SERVICE CENTRE (DCTSC), SUALKUCHI (g) MUGA AND ERI SILKWORM SEED ORGANNIZATION (MSSO & ESSO) (h) ERI SILKWORM SEED PRODUCTION CENTRE (ESSPC), MIRZA (i) MUGA RAW MATERIAL BANK (MRMB), SIBSAGAR

China is the mightiest player in the World silk market

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China is the largest producer of natural silk. It produces the superior quality raw silk of International Standard and export almost 90% of its production mostly in the form of raw silk.

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India with an annual silk production of 17000tonnes stands in the 2nd position after China.

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The other world silk player are Japan, Brazil, Korea and other Asia-African countries.

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Today only China and India are the producers in silk. Thailand, Uzbekistan also produces silk but the quantity is very small. So we will have to keep this raw silk and fabrics for them to continue in the market.

NATIONAL MARKET OF SILK  India produces a variety of silks called Mulberry, Tasar, Muga and Eri.  The sericulture industry today employs over 700000 families in India.  The sericulture industry is mostly concentrated in the states of Karnataka,Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh and to some extent Assam and West Bengal.  Jharkhand produces 60 per cent of the total organic silk production in the country.  India stands second only to China in silk production. While China produced 69,000 metric tons of raw silk last year, India stood far behind with 16,000 metric tons.  The silk industry has been expanding rapidly over the last few years with government and international subsidies for silk projects and marketing schemes.  Germany is the largest consumer of Indian silk.  The silk production in India is not sufficient to meet the demand in world market.  Some measures like encouragement of technological and economic research in various aspects of sericulture, standardization and quality control of silk and silk products and stabilization of prices of silk cocoons and raw silk can expedite silk export in India.  Types of Silk items available in the national market:a) Fancy Silk Sarees b) Baluchuri Silk Sarees (c) Tant Silk Sarees etc.  Types of silk in National market:1.South silk, 2.Bangalore silk, 3.Kanjivaram, 4.Crepe silk, 5.Tissue silk, 6.Pure silk. 7.Chanderi Silk

GOLDEN MUGA IS INDIA’S PRIDE

Export-import of SILK

 The agro-based silk industry, besides being an employment generating industry, is also a

good foreign exchange earner. India exports silk goods worth over Rs.2100 crore, mostly to the US and Europe.  Normally mulberry, tassar and mixed silk varieties are exported from Tamil Nadu.  Silk exporters in the State attributed the fall in exports to international buyers' preference for the Chinese silk. They said that both cost and quality-wise Chinese silk varieties were superior to the Indian silk. Where India, especially Tamil Nadu exporters, scored over their Chinese counterpart, was in pure silk sarees. Chinese weavers could not match the intricate designs being produced by the State handloom weavers, exporters said.  Unaccounted exports  But Central Silk Board officials said there had been an increase in the silk export from the Chennai region.

Drawbacks of the Assam silk industry  Yarn supply  Distress sale  Financial problem  Space for Work shed  Lightning  Labour Shortage  Technological Upgradation  Calico Printing  Loom Accessories

Some important problems 

1. The rate of seed cocoon is about Rs 1000 to 1500 per thousand and rate of commercial cocoons is about Rs400 to 700 per thousand. Therefore common people hesitate to venture into the business.

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2. The price fixation cannot be done easily so farmers, businessmen and customers suffer from the exorbitant price of seed cocoon, yarn and fabric.

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3. Blending of tassar silk with muga silk is another burning problem Tasar is woven with muga silk and marketed as pure muga at lower price .Due to smuggling of cheap tassar silk yarn fromchina, the poor muga farmers do not get enough buyers for their cocoons.