Meeting
Meeting

By Patrick Opio

Senior Communications Officer

(Tel: 256772370285) Photos attached….

A Sericulture Project implemented by Commercialization of Sericulture Technologies and Innovations in Uganda has been allocated 20 acres of land belonging to Lira University.

 The project is part of the innovation projects supported by Innovation Fund in accordance with guidelines from H.E The President of the Republic of Uganda to support scientists to commercialize innovations.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jasper Ogwal Okeng who welcomed the project revealed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lira University was signed for mutual benefits of both parties.

Prof. Jasper Ogwal Okeng noted that the university will directly and indirectly benefit from the project. “I am sure even the community in this sub-region will smile when they provide services and supply the silk factory with raw silk, being out growers of mulberry,” he adds.

Prof. Ogwal Okeng said that Sericulture is an important cottage industry in the world today creating employment for both rural and urban population. He was addressing a meeting attended by a team from the ministry, headed by Mr Joseph Erimu, at Public Health Board Room.

Erimu reveals that since its inception, this project is partly supported by the Government of Uganda through The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (MoSTI) and supervised by The Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST).

Erimu revealed that the project is implemented by Tropical Institute of Development of Uganda through H.E President’s support to scientists to enhance Industrialisation as one of the innovation projects and is guided by National Research & Innovation frame work(NRIP).

Sericulture: is the art and science of rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk and its end product is silk. Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibrin and produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. Sericulture has become an important cottage industry in the world today creating employment for millions of rural and urban people.

Sericulture is an eco-friendly agro-based labor intensive and commercially attractive economic activity, falling under cottage and small-scale sector. Sericulture enterprise in its totality is a long chain industry from mulberry cultivation to fabric making. Sericulture is the only cash crop, which provides frequent and attractive returns throughout the year.

A factory design that included cocoons/silk worms rearing section and clothes processing unit was disseminated to Lira University authority for review.

Objectives of the project

To sustainably transfer technologies that will contribute to increased economic growth by 5% for improved household incomes, job creation/employment in Uganda within 5 years.

To commercialize sericulture technologies and innovations in Uganda

To popularise sericulture activities to enhance the income of rural areas especially for women

To popularise sericulture in agriculturally unstable land

To undertake research, development, training, extension, and utilisation of silk

To strengthen stakeholder capacity for commercial production of sericulture

To advise the government on all matters relating to the development of silk industry including utilisation and export of raw silk.

About the project.

Sericulture Industry provides classified employment generational pattern of the industry into two major types:

i) Direct Employment;

a) Mulberry Cultivation,

b) Leaf Harvesting,

c) Silk Worm Rearing,

d) Reeling,

e) Twisting,

f) Weaving,

g) Printing & Dyeing,

h) Finishing,

i) Silk Waste Processing.

ii) Indirect Employment;

a) Traders,

b) Rearing House Construction,

c) Marketing.

The end…


 [LU1]Lira University earmarks land for sericulture project

 [LU2]Add ‘the’

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