India:NIFT to promote silk from Jharkhand
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2005-12-05 09:57:00
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RANCHI: Jharkhand has sought the help of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, the country's premier fashion organisation, to promote silk produced in the state and will set up a silk research centre to boost the industry.
"We have finalised a deal with NIFT, Kolkata, to promote silk production in the state," said an official of the industry department. "NIFT will help in grooming the local weaving talents and in promoting the cloth made from the silk produced in Jharkhand."
To improve the quality of the silk, Jharkhand is setting up Rs .90 crore Silk Development Institute (SDI) in the state capital.
"The institute will work as a research centre of modern silk and manufacturing techniques. It will become functional in one year. Here, NIFT's cooperation will be taken in research and manufacturing of dresses," the official said.
Jharkhand hopes to produce 30 tonnes more silk than last year to record 120 tonnes this year.
The Central Silk Board (CSB) has fixed the silk production target for Jharkhand at 640 tonnes over the next 10 years.
The official said 36,000 hectares is currently used for silk production and 18 of the state's 22 districts have the potential to produce silk.
The new measures to promote silk have come in the wake of a decline in production of some silk varieties in Jharkhand. The output of tussar silk had declined in the past few years, coming down from 438 tonnes to 90 tonnes.