The Chief Minister of Mizoram recently inaugurated Integrated Muga Silk Development Project (IMSDP) initiated by the State Sericulture department under the North East Region Textiles Promotion Scheme (NERTPS).

This move comes in as a thrust to the opportunity for Mizoram, along with Nagaland, to become muga producer in the Northeastern region ; after muga production in Assam has drastically declined due to climate change

Under NERTPS, the Mizoram Sericulture department is implementing two major projects – integrated sericulture development project at a financial outlay of Rs 3,249.2 lakh, targeting 600 beneficiaries and intensive bivoltine sericulture development project at an outlay of Rs 3,014.16 lakh, targeting 1,000 beneficiaries.

He said that after Assam faced drastic decline in muga silk production, a pilot study was conducted in 2012 and 2013 which found that the high-altitude of Mizoram, Nagaland and other Himalayan States, showed promising results for muga silkworm rearing in summer because of which muga and other silkworm varieties are now being reared on a big scale under NERTPS funding.

The State Government’s flagship project New Land Use Policy has provided financial and technical support to a large section of sericulture farmers.

Lal Thanhawla said that global warming could be a blessing in disguise for sericulture farmers of Mizoram.

He added that global warming and climate change are not merely academic discourses but real challenges that affect long-term survival. He urged the farmers to make the maximum use of NERTPS and make Mizoram a new producer of silk.