Malkangiri: The state government has initiated a major step to financially empower the women of Malkangiri district through production of tussar yarns. For the first time in the district, Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM) and Mission Shakti have jointly set up a training centre for the same at MV-90 under Kalimela block of this district. The centre was inaugurated by Collector Vishal Singh Friday in the presence of BDO Umashankar Dalei, Kalimela sarpanch Pruthiraj Majhi and block coordinator of OLM Ratan Goladar.
As many as 30 yarn machines have been set up at the training centre where women are being imparted training on producing yarns from cocoons. About 30 women of various SHGs have started their training at this centre from October 2. Trainers from Bilaspur area of neighbouring Chhattisgarh are imparting training to these women. Currently, cocoons are being brought from Chhattisgarh. The cocoons are immersed in hot water and then tussar silk is extracted with machines and yarns are produced. These yarns are preserved for manufacturing clothes and sarees. Tussar is a wild variety of silk and its farming involves growing cocoons from which silk is extracted to make fabric.
At grainage shed, parental cocoon seeds are reared and kept clean. Its temperature and humidity are regularly monitored. A single strand of silk that forms the cocoon is about a kilometre in length. It is then converted into yarn by joining five to seven threads. The yarn is reeled through machines by the women, they said. However, local women observed that if the government lays emphasis on tussar farming in Malkangiri, people will not have to migrate to other states in search of livelihood.
Besides, raw materials for yarns will be available easily, they added. Adopting sericulture in the area will create a wider scope for sustainable development and women empowerment along with employment generation through Mission Shakti. The tussar cultivation would involve plantation of Asan and Arjuna plants for the rural farmers with provision of training on tussar worm rearing and cocoon production.
Sericulture if promoted in the region would bring economic prosperity to women here, some experts said. Locally produced cocoons will be helpful in creating better scope of work for the women, they noted adding that tussar farming will widen the scope of employment in the district.