Forest Resources of Jharkhand, Eastern India …
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purposes for livelihood security. The forest biodiversity of the state is under serious
threat owing to the uncontrolled grazing, repeated fires, unsustainable harvesting of
usufructs, an extension of agricultural fields, habitat destruction and fragmentation
by mining, rails, human settlements, dams and encroachment etc.
5 Some Important Forest Resources Based Industries
of Jharkhand
5.1 Sericulture (Silk) Industry
India holds 2nd rank as a producer of silk in the world after China. Mulberry, Tasar, Eri
and Muga are the four different types of silk used to be produced in India. Tasar culture
and related activities have been widely practised in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, North Eastern and sub-Himalayan belts of India
for several decades. Jharkhand is the leading producer of Tasar silk and ranks 1st in
the country with a production of 2281 MT (80.92% of the total tasar silk produced
in India) during 2015–16 (Source: https://community.data.gov.in). Tasar culture is
practised by 1 lakh 40 thousand tribal families in the state of Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and
Maharashtra (Source: Annual report, Central Silk Board Bangalore, India, 2016–
2017). Tasar culture is a forest-based industry, which remained as an integral part
of the tribal economy in many states of India, employing lakhs of poor and tribal
people who have no other vocation. Tribes have strong spiritual, cultural and socioeconomic affinity to the forest and to the wild silk moth farming (Goel et al. 2004).
Tasar silk is generated by the worm of the silk moth Antheraea mylitta. The larvae of
Antheraea mylitta are polyphagous and feed on various kinds of plant leaves like T.
arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn, T. alata Heyne ex Roth, Ziziphus mauritiana, S. robusta,
Lagerstroemia parviflora Roxb. etc. The most dominant tasar host is S. robusta (80%)
and the rest is Terminalia sp. and other host trees (Fig. 3). Only 5% of the tasar food
plants in India are put to use for tasar rearing (Singh and Mishra 2003; Remadevi
2005). The tasar silkworms are grown only in the wild; therefore, they are cultivated
in places where their host plants are available. Germany is the major importer of
tasar silk from India followed by U.S.A., France, Hong Kong, and U.A.E. In order
to maintain the leading edge and give special thrust to the sector, Jharkhand Silk,
Textile and Handicraft Development Corporation (JHARCRAFT) was established
in 2006 to provide support in designing, training, entrepreneurship development,
marketing and raw material support in clustered and organized manner by grouping
local artisans, self-help groups (SHGs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
involved in similar activities.
75
purposes for livelihood security. The forest biodiversity of the state is under serious
threat owing to the uncontrolled grazing, repeated fires, unsustainable harvesting of
usufructs, an extension of agricultural fields, habitat destruction and fragmentation
by mining, rails, human settlements, dams and encroachment etc.
5 Some Important Forest Resources Based Industries
of Jharkhand
5.1 Sericulture (Silk) Industry
India holds 2nd rank as a producer of silk in the world after China. Mulberry, Tasar, Eri
and Muga are the four different types of silk used to be produced in India. Tasar culture
and related activities have been widely practised in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, North Eastern and sub-Himalayan belts of India
for several decades. Jharkhand is the leading producer of Tasar silk and ranks 1st in
the country with a production of 2281 MT (80.92% of the total tasar silk produced
in India) during 2015–16 (Source: https://community.data.gov.in). Tasar culture is
practised by 1 lakh 40 thousand tribal families in the state of Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and
Maharashtra (Source: Annual report, Central Silk Board Bangalore, India, 2016–
2017). Tasar culture is a forest-based industry, which remained as an integral part
of the tribal economy in many states of India, employing lakhs of poor and tribal
people who have no other vocation. Tribes have strong spiritual, cultural and socioeconomic affinity to the forest and to the wild silk moth farming (Goel et al. 2004).
Tasar silk is generated by the worm of the silk moth Antheraea mylitta. The larvae of
Antheraea mylitta are polyphagous and feed on various kinds of plant leaves like T.
arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn, T. alata Heyne ex Roth, Ziziphus mauritiana, S. robusta,
Lagerstroemia parviflora Roxb. etc. The most dominant tasar host is S. robusta (80%)
and the rest is Terminalia sp. and other host trees (Fig. 3). Only 5% of the tasar food
plants in India are put to use for tasar rearing (Singh and Mishra 2003; Remadevi
2005). The tasar silkworms are grown only in the wild; therefore, they are cultivated
in places where their host plants are available. Germany is the major importer of
tasar silk from India followed by U.S.A., France, Hong Kong, and U.A.E. In order
to maintain the leading edge and give special thrust to the sector, Jharkhand Silk,
Textile and Handicraft Development Corporation (JHARCRAFT) was established
in 2006 to provide support in designing, training, entrepreneurship development,
marketing and raw material support in clustered and organized manner by grouping
local artisans, self-help groups (SHGs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
involved in similar activities.