Wool Technology Mission to be set up

New Delhi, July 18 (UNI) The Government is planning to set up a Wool Technology Mission to increase wool quality and production in the country.

Stating this, Union Textiles Minister Shankersinh Vaghela told the Parliamentary consultative committee of his ministry here today that the Wool Technology Mission would require the active support of the state governments.

The mission would be set up in association with the Department of Animal Husbandry.

The Minister urged the committee members to look into the activities of silk and wool sectors in their states and help in promoting them.

Mr Vaghela said the export of woollen products especially carpets contributed substantially to the total textiles exports. During 2004-05, the country's export earnings from the sector was about Rs 4,522 crore and the momentum should be maintained by keeping up with technological upragadation and other essential inputs, he added.

Emphasising the importance of Research and Development activities supported by the Government in the silk sector, which had resulted in achieving better productivity and quality standards, the Minister said a package of practices had been developed for raising productivity.

The package includes each stage of cocoon production including pest management, disease control, development of more efficient rearing and cocooning equipment, eco-friendly methods of rearing, developing and popularising reeling-cum-twisting machines and spinning wheels for reeled and spun silks of all sub sectors with better agronomics, efficiency and productivities.

The Minister said the "Silk Mark Scheme" was launched to protect the consumers of silk since most of them were ignorant about the purity standards. The Government had taken the initiative to launch futures trading in cocoon and raw silk through the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange Ltd (NCDEX), which can be effectively used as a tool to cover the risks associated with price fluctuations and to boost silk production in the country, he added.

Minister of State for Textiles E V K S Elangovan along with senior officials of the ministry attended the meeting.

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