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| Deputy chief minister Sudhir Mahto inaugurates Tassar Technology Complex at Nagri in Ranchi on Wednesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra |
Ranchi, March 19: Tassar producers in the state can set their sights on foreign shores now. They can export their products to Singapore, Hong Kong, the Arab Emirates, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia soon.
The state industries department has decided to upgrade the skill of farmers and help them produce tassar, a type of silk, in large quantities and explore foreign markets.
Deputy chief minister Sudhir Mahto said the government would soon push the state’s tassar produce. “We are in touch with several companies interested in exporting tassar,” said Mahto.
The minister was addressing a group of tassar farmers during the Krishi Mela at Nagri, around 25km from the state capital.
To ensure that farmers’ learn more, a Tassar Technology Complex at Nagri was also inaugurated today. The centre would be holding regular training programmes for those engaged in silk production.
Mahto said, with the textile sector booming there is ample scope for state farmers to get a fair share in it. At present, 50 per cent of the tassar produced in the country comes from Jharkhand. The tropical tassar — a variety grown in the state — has a huge demand in the international market and could be exported to USA, Germany, Canada, Japan, France, Switzerland, UK, Italy, Spain, New Zealand and Australia.
The Central Tassar Research and Training Institute (CTRTI) at Nagri has also developed a new technology and now it wants the farmers to learn the same. “We have developed a new technology in silkworm seed production, silkworm rearing, silkworm protection, its cleaning and sorting and transportation of cocoon,” said N. Suryanarayana, director, CTRTI.