FOREST DEPARTMENT'S RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM

While the Punjab Forest Department is taking special steps across the province to fulfill the vision of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Punjab for a greener Pakistan and Punjab, it is also paying special attention to the promotion of “Seri Culture”. The Forest Department's Seri Culture Department is proving to be very helpful in providing employment to the needy families in the villages, especially women. Silkworms provide opportunities for women to try out skills. The family is earning at least Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 a month from this skill. In this regard, while the role of the Seri Culture Department is very significant, this department also contains numerous stories of achievements.

Seri culture is mainly the cultivation of silkworms and the extraction of silk from them. Many products in Pakistan are derived from sericulture and most of the medicines are also made from it. In many countries, sericulture has become an important cottage industry, while in Pakistan, to some extent, this industry has its own existence and place. Silk is also an integral part of the global textile market. Many people in Pakistan depend on this industry. It is especially important in the domestic industry.

Raising silkworms for the production of raw silk is a basic requirement of this industry. In this regard, under the Seri Culture Department of the Forest Department, unemployed women and men are given eggs of silkworms, which are produced by going through the required stages of rearing. This larva not only produces more insects but also makes various items from the material (silk) obtained from them. These ladies and gentlemen make a living by selling them. The Forest Department's Department of Sericulture provides silk-making training and technical assistance to these families. Which leads to a profit of thousands of rupees. As a result of this effort, many families have made silk making their livelihood. Thus, "Seri Culture" is proving to be a lucrative domestic industry from which men and women are earning thousands of rupees at home by making raw silk.

Hajira Bibi, 38, of Changa Manga, makes silk cocoons from silk eggs and sells them for a living. She has 3 children while her husband died two years ago. He made 29 kg cocoon from the same packet last season and sold it for Rs. 32,000 while he earned Rs. 36,000 in the previous season. Hajira Bibi says that the Seri Culture Department has proved to be a pleasant breeze for her orphans. He thanked the Forest Department and blessed them with financial support.

Lal Din belongs to the suburbs of Chichawatni. Lal Din says he is thriving on income from harvesting silk eggs. Not only does he buy new clothes for his children, but he can also buy plenty of home-grown food, which is a great source of income for him. Lal Din thanks the Forest Department through the Seri Culture Department and on most occasions also appears to express his best wishes to the Seri Culture Experts.

There are so many examples and success stories that are an asset to the culture sector. Making rural families who have no source of income or who have limited resources to become economically independent and able to make a living by providing free silk production can certainly be counted among the revolutionary initiatives of the Forest Department.

Fresh mulberry leaves feed on silkworms. In this regard, mulberry trees are being planted on 50 to 100 acres in each district while mulberry is also being cultivated on Avenue Miles (canal reservoirs). These reserves will be of great help in the development and stabilization of the silk industry and will provide economic stability to thousands of families by obtaining mulberry leaves. In this context, Japanese hybrid mulberry plants imported from China are being grafted to produce a variety of mulberry that can be grown in pots at home. This cultivation helps in raising silkworms.

It is also worth mentioning that the Department of Seri Culture was attached to the Forest Department in 1966 with the Department of Industry. Importantly, in the past this institution was neglected due to which the domestic silk industry could not flourish. In 2018, thanks to the personal interest of the PTI government, especially the Forest Minister Sabteen Khan, this small domestic industry began to receive attention. The officers in charge of "Seri Culture" once again started providing silk eggs to the poor by selecting environmentally friendly communities. It was a time when people were reluctant to re-adopt the crumbling silk industry; but sericulture officials restored their confidence in the industry. In this situation, the private sector also cooperated fully with the Seri Culture Department of the Forest Department.

It is also worth mentioning that the Department of Sericulture is importing silk eggs and distributing them to poor families. Currently, silk eggs are being provided to about one thousand deserving families in a season, but in the near future, plans to expand the scope to 2,000 families are also among the achievements of the Forest Department. It is estimated that Pakistan is currently importing about 500 metric tons of silk. According to the Economic Survey Report 2020, Pakistan imports Rs 67 billion worth of silk in various forms. If the same thread starts to be made in Pakistan, then approximately 670,000 families will start getting employment at the rate of Rs. 1 lakh per annum and their needs will be easily met.

Therefore, there is a need to expand the scope of government initiatives for the promotion of this small domestic industry and to ensure ample and uninterrupted supply of resources with full patronage of this sector so that more and more backward classes can get employment Keep coming