An important step was taken on Wednesday at the Bhergaon Eri Cocoon Production and Demonstration Centre to encourage rural women to become self-sufficient and earn a steady income. 50 economically disadvantaged people received free Eri silkworm seeds and vital host plant saplings during the ceremony, which ran from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm. Daobaisa Boro, an executive member of BTR’s Eri Mission, spearheaded the campaign and stressed the value of enlisting women, particularly those from the tea garden areas, to participate in Eri sericulture by using their underutilized land for plantations. An essential component of Assam’s silk legacy, Muga cultivation depends on the dispersed host plant.
Mallika Basumatary, the Sericulture Department Officer of BTR, spoke at the occasion and emphasized the department’s emphasis on using sericulture to empower women. Along with a sizable contingent of locals, the event featured prominent luminaries, including Tinkumoni Boro, principal of the Bhergaon VCDC, Nihir Khungur Boro, Veben Rabha, Bhupen Deka, Youth UPPL president of Bhergaon Daoharu Boro, and BTR Fellow Bijoy Boro. Dr. Gunamoni Deka, Principal of the Eri Cocoon Production Center, enhanced the initiative’s knowledge-sharing component by giving a thorough demonstration of how to effectively plant, care for, and rear Eri silkworms. The purpose of his seminar was to encourage women to pursue Eri farming as a feasible means of subsistence.
