Tata Steel’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm Tata Steel Foundation inked a pact with Central Tasar Research and Training Institute (CTRTI), Ranchi, for fostering sustainable livelihoods through sericulture-based activities in Jharkhand and neighbouring Odisha.

CTRTI, a unit of the Central Silk Board (a statutory body under the Union textile ministry), claims to be the only institute in the world dedicated to research and development activities in the tasar sector.

“The MoA was signed by CTRTI director N. B. Chowdary and Tata Steel Foundation chief executive officer Sourav Roy at the institute campus in Ranchi on Wednesday,” said a communique issued by Tata Steel.

“As part of this, both the entities will jointly collaborate to provide technical assistance and training to the farming communities and enrich their knowledge on adoption of improved package of practices that includes disease management for maintenance of host plants and silkworm larvae, integrated conservation and land management and assist in obtaining necessary certifications wherever necessary,” the communique further added.

It said: “The primary objective of the knowledge partnership is to extend support in sericulture-based activities for training and delivering effective pre-cocoon and post-cocoon technologies for the conservation of Sukinda ecorace.”

Significantly, Sukinda Ecorace is one of the eight breeds of indigenous silkworms and hundreds of farmers in the Jajpur region of Odisha depend on tasar farming of Sukinda Ecorace for their livelihood.

In 2016, Sukinda Chromite Mines of Tata Steel, located at Sukinda block of Jajpur district in Odisha, had come forward to take steps to conserve the silkworm breed Sukinda Ecorace.

“Through this partnership, we aim to enable access to comprehensive training and orientation for underserved communities, revitalising the tasar silk and sericulture sector in the regions of Harichandanpur, Sukinda, and Danagadi. The main intent behind this collaborative effort is to contribute to the conservation of Sukinda ecorace. It gives us immense pleasure to partner with Central Tasar Research and Training Institute and we look forward to our collaborative results,” said Sourav Roy.

Under this agreement, CTRTI and Tata Steel Foundation plan to conduct six training sessions annually, reaching out to 160 households.