Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh, visited the Sericulture Training Institute (STI) at Zemabawk today. He was accompanied by Lalthansanga, Minister of Sericulture, Govt. of Mizoram.

The Union Minister of Textiles, along with accompanying officials, participated in a ceremonial plantation of Som tree saplings—the primary food plant for Muga silkworms—at the Sericulture Training Institute (STI) campus. Alongside Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Mizoram's Sericulture Minister Lalthansanga and Central Silk Board (CSB) Member Secretary P. Siva Kumar also planted the saplings. Following the plantation drive, the Union Minister and accompanying officials visited the Silk Reeling Factory located within the STI campus to review and oversee the silk production process.

Subsequently, a function was organized at the Conference Hall of STI, wherein Giriraj Singh, along with his delegation, held an interactive session with farmers and weavers.

Speaking on the occasion, Giriraj Singh extended his greetings to farmers from 211 villages across Mizoram, stating that his visit was not merely to deliver a speech but to forge a deeper connection with them. The Minister remarked on how fortunate Mizoram is for being the only North Eastern state capable of producing all four varieties of silk: Muga, Eri, Mulberry, and Tasar. He noted that across 11 districts of Mizoram, approximately 6,000 farmers and 19,000 individuals rely on sericulture and silk based activities as their primary source of livelihood. The Union Minister also observed that Mizoram's climate and soil are exceptionally well-suited for sericulture and he expressed appreciation for the sector's recent steady growth of about 5.5% to 6% in the State.

The Union Minister of Textiles also expressed his vision to develop Muga silk farmers in Mizoram as "Muga Leaders" and he stated that a substantial amount of funds has already been sanctioned for Mizoram under Silk Samagra 2.0. Expressing his preference for a cluster-based approach in the State, Giriraj Singh proposed that four districts—Lunglei, Champhai, Saitual and Siaha—be designated as "Muga districts", while the remaining districts should focus on rearing other varieties of silk. He emphasized that working through a cluster-based approach brings faster and visible progress, and if such initiatives are undertaken, the Central Silk Board would extend its support. To encourage further progress, the Minister urged the government authorities to organize healthy competitions among silk farmers by introducing performance parameters and creating awards to recognize top performers. Additionally, Giriraj Singh stated that efforts would be made to explore collaboration with the National Institute of Fashion Technology(NIFT) for weavers and entrepreneurs engaged in silk-based textile production and value addition.

Minister for Sericulture, Lalthansanga, expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the progress achieved by Mizoram through various Central Government schemes. However, he noted that much remains to be done regarding infrastructure development within the sericulture sector and requested further assistance from the Central Government. The Minister further stated that under Silk Samagra 2.0, cocoon processing unit has been established in Mizoram, and that cocoons produced by Mizo farmers are being sold to other states. He also highlighted that the Sericulture Department is being given significant priority under the State’s flagship programme- Bana Kaih.

The Union Minister was accompanied by Yogendra Singh, IAS, PS to HMoT; APS Jai Krishna; Vrunda Manohar Desai, IRS, Textile Commissioner(Ministry of Textiles); P. Siva Kumar, IFS, Member Secretary of CSB; Florence Zotluangpuii, MCS, Secretary to the Govt. of Mizoram, Sericulture Department; Lalrinawma, Director, Sericulture Department, Govt. of Mizoram, and other officials and dignitaries.