However, for weavers in the historic silk village Sualkuchi, a mere bumper crop is not enough reason for them to celebrate. The target for Muga yarn production fixed by the Department of Sericulture based on the prevailing climatic condition still falls short of the market demand. This means that the shuttles of their looms will not spin as much as they wish them to. Less shuttle movement means less money.  

Supply of this golden thread, unique to Assam still remains excessively low against its increasing demand, thus pushing the weavers of this traditional pocket of commercial silk-weaving into a state of crisis.

The arrival of the pre-monsoon rains in time has ensured that the Som (Persea Bombycina) trees will have enough healthy leaves for Muga silkworms to feed on for the coming commercial crop ‘Jethua’, says Mr. Paban Kumar Dutta, Officer on Special Duty of the Department of Sericulture, Assam. The Department has a fixed target of annual Muga yarn production of 100 MT. Despite the push of the Department for expansion of Muga plantation, the Muga silkworms are highly sensitive to adverse climatic conditions and some other factors, due to which achieving the goal each year is a challenging task, he says.

This is why, although the production during the year 2008-09 was 101 MT, it came down to 88.71 MT immediately in the next financial year and again went up to 113.28 MT. during 2010-11. The estimated annual production during the year 2011-12 is 107 MT, Dutta says. The production, however, is far from the actual market demand and there is a shortage of about 40-50 MT production per year.

Dutta however claims that the increase in the production despite the shortfall in rain during 2008-09 is due to the Department’s push to increase Muga yarn by developing ‘cluster plantation’ aiming at helping the traditional growers which was adopted during 2005-06.  During that financial year, the annual production was 85 MT. Altogether 39,444 families in the state cultivate Muga as the main sericulture product.

While the production has stagnated between 85 MT and 113 MT despite the departmental push, the growing demand of Muga fabric which is considered the pride of Assam, has ultimately led to an excessive hike in the price of Muga yarn per kg. According to Girish Ch. Das, a traditional weaver in Sualkuchi, the price per kg of Muga yarn (for the length of the fabric) varies between Rs 12,500 and Rs 15,000 and for the width the price per kg is less (between Rs 500-Rs 1000).

Das, an expert weaver in the silk-village has ten looms out of which six are exclusively engaged in Muga fabric production. The weaver-cum-owner says with the procurement of two kgs of yarn for both the length and width of the fabric, one can produce three pairs of mekhla-chador (traditional Assamese dress for womenfolk). On an average a weaver-cum-owner can earn maximum of Rs 12,000 by selling three pairs of mekhla-chador. From this amount he has to make payments to the weavers engaged by him for his looms, pay electricity bills, rent of the factory etc. Thus, the profit margin of the weaver-cum-owner ultimately remains very low. This is why most of the traditional Muga weavers in Sulakuchi are now compelled to shift to weaving Tassar fabric, a low quality silk imported from China that resembles Muga.

“It is a dream of every Assamese woman to have at least one set of Muga­ silk fabric but it has become so costly that the low income families are bound to satisfy themselves with Tassar products. When our product reaches the market, the price increases up to Rs 15,000 and sometimes even more. This shows how we genuinely need to increase production of Muga cocoons in the state to meet the demand,” says the expert weaver to Eastern Panorama.

Contrary to the high price of Muga fabric, a set of Tassar silk fabric costs between Rs 3000 to Rs 4500. The increasing popularity of low cost Tassar has also compelled a section of weavers to indulge in adulteration of Muga with Tassar.

The shifting of weaving from Muga to Tassar by most of the weavers has ultimately resulted in a reduction of the number of families engaged exclusively in the weaving of Muga fabric to merely 15-20 in Sualkuchi, having a very strong tradition of weaving Muga fabric over the centuries. According to reports, the history of handloom product design dates back to 180 AD when this golden thread silk fabric was specially designed to make a distinction for soldiers of the kings of the Kirat dynasty. During that time, these fabrics were woven on a small river island named Suban Kuchi which was later identified as Sualkuchi.

Even today, over 73 per cent of its total households of 4,023 (2001 Census) are engaged in commercial weaving as a means of earning their livelihood. Elderly weavers still have fond memories of how Gandhiji praised their unique skill of weaving when he visited on January 9th, 1946. During his visit, one expert weaver presented Mahatma a piece of silk-cloth on which his own image was woven using the fine craft. The picture was so unique that it made Gandhiji remark that weavers of Sualkuchi weave dreams on their looms.

Contrary to the high price of Muga fabric, a set of Tassar silk fabric costs between `3000 to `4500. The increasing popularity of low cost Tassar has also compelled a section of weavers to indulge in adulteration of Muga with Tassar.

Meanwhile, the gap between the demand and supply of Muga yarn can be attributed to several factors, according to experts. Muga silkworm, unlike other silkworms like Eri and Mulberry, can be reared exclusively in wild conditions and not in indoor environments. The silkworm is also highly sensitive to various adverse conditions that primarily include shortage of monsoon rain, construction and other development activities initiated in the traditional Muga rearing belts, pesticides applied on other crops and shifting of a section of such families to other livelihood opportunities.

A sizeable section of the traditional Muga rearing families in Upper Assam have already cleared their ancestral land supporting Som trees for ages, the food plant of Muga cocoons for the purpose of small tea- plantation in search of economic prosperity. From a small tea-garden a family can earn for over 9 months a year without any possibility of crop-loss. Growers still engaged in Muga crop in these areas allege that pesticides often used in such tea-plantations have an adverse impact on Muga crop. In lower Assam on the other hand, many tribal families previously engaged in Muga rearing have now shifted to rubber plantation.

There are six seasons of Muga rearing and only two namely, Jethua (May- June) and Katiya (September-November) are primarily for commercial production. The four others Jarua (November-January), Chotua (February- April), Bhodiya (June-August) and Net Katiya (later stage of Katiya) are mainly for seed crop and only a very small percentage of yarn from such crops goes to the market.

This time, the Department is ready to procure at least 1,00,000 seed cocoons from various growers for scientific hatching to distribute eggs to different growers for Jethua crop. However to achieve the target of 100 MT yarn production, over 10 lakh seed-cocoons is required, says Dutta.

To meet the demand, some private seed-growers are also engaged in the process of producing seed cocoons. Pankaj Rabha, a successful commercial seed-grower belonging to the Rabha tribe in Batakuchi village of Bakrapara of Boko in lower Asssam’s Kamrup district and a prime seed-supplier to the BTC area of the state says he earned `2,60,000 by selling 26 kgs of seeds for the growers of BTC during the last Katiya commercial season. He is expecting good business this time too for the Jethua commercial season.

“To get good quality seeds from matured Muga moths, I employ my own method of research and observation. Usually I collect the moths from the most interior pockets in the Assam - Meghalaya border, living in absolutely wild conditions. For this, I make my own visits to these pockets. Eggs laid by these moths living in the extreme wild environment are of very high quality. That is why the seeds I supply always have a high demand in the market,” he claims.

While this traditional grower has the confidence of employing his traditional knowledge to produce a good crop, Dutta says despite the push of the Department to increase its target, lack of scientific research is one of the major setbacks responsible for the stagnation of yarn production.

“Usually a matured mother Muga moth lays around 100 eggs after mating, although she is capable of laying around 200 eggs. Scientific research can help in getting more eggs from such matured moths. Again, during the process of reeling, only 50-60 per cent reeling can be done from a cocoon. Research can help in increasing the percentage of reeling per cocoon. We also need season specific research for different crop seasons,” he says to Eastern Panorama.

Most of the weavers in Sulakuchi say that the absence of a “yarn bank’’ to support poor weavers for procurement of Muga yarn as and when they require is primarily responsible for the stagnation of muga weaving in the silk village. In the absence of a yarn bank the weaver has to deal directly with businessmen with no room for credit. The weaver is bound to procure the yarn from the market instantly when it arrives.

The weavers say that only a steady and increasing supply of Muga yarn can keep the last shuttles of the Muga looms moving.

Ratna Bharali Talukdar