The West Bengal government has sought the Chinese expertise for sericulture and silk promotion in the state.

"A six-member team headed by Yao Xizhen, professor of Sericulture and Agri Food Research Institute of Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China is scheduled to visit the state from November 17 to 22 for exploring the areas of cooperation for development of mulberry sericulture," state Micro and Small Scale Enterprises and Textile Minister Manab Mukherjee told PTI.

"Chinese delegates would be taken to Malda, Murshidabad and Birbhum districts to identify areas of improvement. They will give us proposals for growth and development of silk industry," he said.

West Bengal produces all four commercially exploited varieties of silk like mulberry, tasar, eri and muga.

Mukherjee said the state produces about 1750 tonnes of mulberry silk and about 30 tonnes of tasar silk annually.

Source: PTI News