Silk industry of Assam:

=> Nearly 60,000 families are dependent on the silk industry in Assam.

=> Apart from eri and pat, Assam produces muga silk or "golden silk"(about 97% of total global production).

=> Sualkuchi region is particularly popular for Silk weavers.

Challenges faced by Silk weavers of Assam

1. Increased pollution- leading to less productivity of Silk worms.

2. Threat of fakes silk and powerloom-made Banarasi silk products masquerading as Assamese silk.

3. Rising cost of raw materials

• The cost of mulberry silk imported from Karnataka, which was Rs 5,200 per kg at Sualkuchi, has gone up to Rs 9,600 per kg till June.

4. Competition with Poly paat (polyester fabrics produced through chemical processes).

• The machine-made polyester clothes exported from other states have posed a serious threat to the handloom industry.
• They are cheaper as compared to Muga-paat.

Steps taken by State government:

1. 'Muga Mission' in 2018, worth Rs 460 crore, for a period of 10 years.

2. Central government gave its approval for an official trademark for silk products made in Sualkuchi.

• But these initiatives are not enough. The silk weavers have requested to implement Handloom Reservation Act-1985.

Handloom Reservation Act-1985:

• The Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act of 1985 reserved 22 varieties of cloth products exclusively for weaving on handlooms.
• But due to lobbying in 1996, the number of articles reserved for weaving on handlooms was reduced to 11.
• Over a period of time more exemptions have been given to powerloom, which has made it difficult for handloom to survive the competition.