Shillong, Oct 9 NNN: Meghalaya will have its own wool bank soon. The state is planning to have the wool bank as it has the potential to produce its own wool.
Giving this information, Meghalaya deputy chief Minister Bindo M Lanong said on Monday in the next few years time, the state will witness the wool bank.
Speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the 10-day 2nd Shillong Woolen Expo at Youth Hostel here, Lanong said the government of Meghalaya is trying to organize the sheep rearing in the state and hopefully in the next five years time, Meghalaya will be in a position to have its own wool industry.
Stressing that Meghalaya has huge tract of lands in Garo Hills, Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi, Lanong said those lands can be used for the purpose.
Even though the land in State belongs to people and not the government, he opined that the land owners will be made stakeholders in sheep rearing by engaging them in this profitable activity.
However, the breed of sheep currently being reared in very small number in Meghalaya cannot yield the desired wool in demand. Therefore, the ICAR has been instructed to create a hybrid sheep that can yield high quality wool as well as sustain in the local conditions, informed the Meghalaya deputy chief minister.
He also rued over the fact that despite the North East in general and Meghalaya in particular having the market for woolen products, the region is at the receiving end; importing woolen products from Punjab and other states.
Though Meghalaya does produce woolen products through its various weaving units in various parts of the district, under the department of Sericulture and Weaving, but the produce cannot compete with those being imported from Ludhiana and Himachal Pradesh.
It is in view of this huge demand that government wants to set-up wool bank in Meghalaya and start sheep rearing so that employment opportunities are generated while the region’s potential in wool production can be exploited.
With the assistance of Central Wool development Board (CWDB), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, state governments is trying to setup the Wool Bank that will incorporate sheep and angora rabbit and other wool producing animal rearing, technical expertise, training and setting up of a infrastructure for wool exhibition cum sale and information.
“Meghalaya has a great potential in this regard like other North Eastern States and we deserve to have wool industry or wool bank in different states of the region,” Lanong exclaimed.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/wool-bank-at-mizoram/
