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Context

• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has taken a historic initiative to set up Odisha’s first ever Tussar Silk Yarn Production Centre at Choudwar in Cuttack district.

 

About

• This silk yarn production centre will ensure local availability of Tussar Silk yarn, create local employment and reduce the silk production cost.
• Tussar silk is one of the finest varieties of Silk that is distinguished by its coarseness and porous weave that give it a rugged and rustic appearance.
• The development assumes great significance as Silk comprises nearly 75% of the total Khadi fabric production in Odisha.
• For hundreds of years, Odisha has been known for its exquisite Silk, particularly the Tussar variety, which provides livelihood to thousands of tribal people, particularly women.

 

Silk

• Silk is a natural fiber that consists of fibroin, which is the protein some insects secrete to make cocoons.
• Essentially, the fiber is the material these insects produce to make their cocoons and nests.

 

Sericulture

• Sericulture, the production of raw silk by means of raising caterpillars (larvae), particularly those of the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori).
• China is said to be the origin of sericulture. In India the cultivation dates back to 140 AD.

 

 

Types of Silk

• India produces all the four types of silk i.e.

1. Mulberry silk (91.7%);
2. Tasar silk (1.4%);
3. Eri silk (6.4%); and
4. Muga silk (.5%)

• Mulberry Silk –Mulberry silk is the softest and the most durable fabric.
• Eri Silk – Another name for eri silk is peace silk because its production does not include the killing of silkworms. It is heavier and more durable in comparison to mulberry silk.
• Tasar Silk – India and Japan produce this variety of silk. Green silkworms are the producer of Tasar silk.
• Spider Silk – It is the most expensive variety of silk. Manufacturers use spider silk to produce microscopes, bulletproof vests, etc.
• Muga Silk – The natives of Assam produce this variety of fabric using semi-domesticated muga silkworms.
• Sea Silk – Another name for sea silk is mussel silk since species of mussel of the Mediterranean Sea produce it.
• Coan Silk – Silkworms, which feed on oak, pine, and juniper trees produce coan silk. This variety is found in Greece, Turkey, and Italy.

 

Central Silk Board is a statutory body established under the Central Silk Board Act, 1948. It functions under the aegis of Union Ministry of Textile. It is a national organization for overall development of silk sector in India.

 

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1757679