Over 30 foreign delegates attend month-long programme at Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute in city

Mysore/Mysuru: A month-long international training programme on ‘Sericulture and Silk Industry’ began at the Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute (CSRTI) in the city this morning.

More than 30 delegates from countries including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Philippines, Uganda, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Laos, Thailand and Bangladesh are participating.

This training programme is conducted under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The trainees will undergo 30 days of practical training in mulberry silkworm rearing, complemented by classroom teaching and exposure visits to all sectors of sericulture.

The event was inaugurated at CSRTI premises on Manandavadi Road here by Dr. C. Meenakshi, Director (Finance) and Member-Secretary of the Central Silk Board, in the presence of Dr. Gandhi Doss, Director of CSRTI and R. Dileep Kumar, Executive Director of the International Sericulture Commission.

Dr. Meenakshi emphasised the importance of sericulture technologies and training for the development of the silk industry. She highlighted India’s unique position in the world’s premium silk production and the role of the International Sericulture Commission in conducting the international training.

Dr. Meenakshi stated that the trainees would receive hands-on training in mulberry silkworm rearing for four weeks and be exposed to the latest technologies developed by CSRTI. They will also visit progressive sericulture farmers and allied sectors of sericulture in and around Mysuru, with the goal of increasing silk production worldwide.

She informed the delegates that CSRTI Mysuru, as a pioneering Sericultural Research Institute under the Central Silk Board, is dedicated to research and development of technologies to enhance silk productivity and quality in India.

The institute also conducts training programmes on various aspects of sericulture for national and international participants. She encouraged the trainees to share the knowledge gained from quality silk cultivation in their respective nations.

According to CSRTI, the main objectives of this training programme are to support the introduction and development of sericulture activities in third-world countries, generate skilled manpower in sericulture, provide training in extension management and technology transfer, and impart knowledge in post-cocoon technology and successful commercial sericulture practices for replication in other developed countries.