NEHHDC conducts one-day training programme on Sustainable Livelihood through Eri Culture & Castor Plantation

Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 31 : The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited (NEHHDC), a Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region organised a one-day training programme on the theme "Sustainable Livelihood through Eri Culture & Castor Plantation" in Guwahati.
According to the press release, the programme held on Saturday brought together farmers and participants from Arunachal Pradesh to build awareness and capacity around Eri silkworm rearing and castor cultivation as viable, income-generating livelihood options.
Inaugurating the programme, the MD of NEHHDC, Mara Kocho, highlighted the deep cultural and economic significance of Eri silk for the people of Arunachal Pradesh.
"Arunachal Pradesh, particularly the Nyishi tribes, has consumed Eri silk products in the form of fabric and apparel in large quantities since time immemorial. Eri silk fabric is used in marriages, festivals, social gatherings and even in funerals," he said.
He noted that the State currently depends almost entirely on neighbouring states of the North Eastern Region to meet this demand, and described the programme as "a step towards producing our own Eri silk in Arunachal Pradesh."
As per the release, castor seeds for cultivating feed for Eri silkworms were distributed and farmers were urged to follow established technical practices in order to maximise yield and produce quality Eri cocoons. Furthermore, participants were assured that all Eri cocoons produced by the farmers would be bought back by NEHHDC for its Eri spinning mill at Baksa, Assam, providing an assured market for their produce.
Attending as a resource person, Surender Chowkhani spoke on the importance of castor plantation as an alternative source of income.
He explained that castor seeds are a primary source for the extraction of castor oil, and assured participants that he is ready to buy back castor seeds of any quantity at the prevailing market rate.
According to the release, S Bandyopadhyay, Regional Director, Weavers' Service Centre (Ministry of Textiles, Government of India), Guwahati, also addressed the gathering.
He explained the entire value chain of Eri silk and urged participants to take up castor plantation sincerely to create sustainable livelihoods. He also briefed the participants on various schemes of the Ministry of Textiles that may benefit farmers in the post-cocoon stage of Eri rearing.
From NEHHDC, Meghasree Baishya, an Eri expert, elaborated on the diverse economic opportunities arising from castor plantation and Eri rearing.
Mrinal Saikia, Assistant Manager (Eri Yarn Marketing), explained the technical aspects of Eri rearing, cocoon-opening methods and the Eri silk market to the participants, said the release.
Presenting through a detailed slide presentation, Basudev Dutta, Deputy General Manager (Technical), NEHHDC, underscored the importance of approaching Eri cocoon rearing and castor plantation in an organised manner.
He explained how farmers, by coming together to form Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs), can scale up production collectively, achieve economies of scale and become better positioned to access and benefit from various government schemes.
The programme also covered skill upgradation and capacity building, design development and innovation, Eri spinning and yarn development, handloom and weaving training, and the Eri cluster development approach, followed by the distribution of certificates to the participants.