Establishment of BSF   Bangladesh Silk Foundation (BSF) has been established under the sponsorship of the Government and with the assistance from the IDA with the aim of promoting sericulture of Bangladesh and also alleviate poverty by increasing income of the rural poor mostly women engaged in sericulture. Bangladesh Silk Foundation is an autonomous, non-for-profit company limited by guarantee registered in August, 1997 under section 28 of the Companies Act, 1994.   Vision Employment generation, Poverty Alleviation, Rural Development and Environment Conservation through sericulture and silk production. Mission Serve all stakeholders engaged in sericulture and silk industry to promote and revitalize the silk sub-sector. Objectives of BSF To sponsor, promote and revitalize the silk sector and provide in various form and manner assistance including financial, institutional, advisory and training to government, semi-government and non-government organizations, private enterprise, voluntary agencies and societies, local government bodies, institutions and group of individuals in undertaking activities with a view to the promote the silk sector development. To improve the incomes of poor, particularly women, through the development of a competitive silk industry. To help reduce the costs and improve the quality and quantity of raw and spun silk industry to make it internationally competitive. To produce and supply high quality silkworm eggs. To plan, organize, and operate silk base enterprise which will help to promote employment, generate income, development and management skills of the poor. To empower the rural poor, specially women, to develop entrepreneurial skills that should ensure the sustainability of silk production activities. To bring about institutional and investment measures aimed at improving sector performance including institutional development, R&D activities, product development, market promotion, and technical assistance.   Organizational Set-up BSF is headed by a Managing Director who is responsible to a 12-member Governing Body (GB) comprising various stakeholders; Government, NGOs, Silk Rearers, Reelers, Weavers and Silk Manufactures and Exporters. The GB provides overall guidance to formulate strategies and programs for the promotion of sericulture and silk industry and all other policy matters. The MD is assisted by a team of 37 core staff based at BSF Head Office and four field offices. Governing Body Members (As of April 2007) 1. Md. Abdur Rashid Sarker Secretary Ministry of Textiles and Jute. Chairperson 2. Dr. Chowdhury Saleh Ahmed Director General, Monitoring Cell Ministry of Finance. Member (Representing Ministry of Finance) 3. Dr. Abdul Aziz Sarker Director-in-charge Bangladesh Sericulture Research & Training Institute (BSRTI), Rajshahi. Member (Representing BSRTI) 4. Md. Fazlul Haque Managing Director and Joint Secretary (Policy), Ministry of Textiles and Jute. Member (Representing  Ministry of Textiles and Jute) 5. Mr.Mosharraf Hossain Khan Deputy Managing Director Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Member (Representing PKSF as micro-credit financing institution) 6. Md. Abdur Rahman Sarker Advisor, Mirgonj Reshom Palupalonkari Samity, Rajshahi. Member (Representing Rearers) 7. Ms. Swapna Rani Sarker Reeler, NIDP, Netrokona. Member (Representing Reelers) 8. Munzur Faruk Choudhury Managing Director, Usha Silk Ltd, Rajshahi. Member (Representing Weavers) 9. Representative from BRAC Member (Representing NGO) 10. A. K. Arzoo Director, Jagorani Chakra, Jessore. Member (Representing NGO) 11. Mohammed Merajul Alam Managing Director, Meraj Fabrics Ltd., Rajshahi. Member (Representing Private Sector Silk Manufacturers and Exporters ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS Under BSF’s efforts, the IDA financed Silk Development Project (SDP) has resulted in some significant changes within the sericulture industry in Bangladesh. There have been many pioneering instances in technological changes brought in by the programme, and dramatic improvement in dfl quality. All these combine to give positive indications to the development of the silk sub-sector in Bangladesh, through the coordinated efforts of government, NGO and private sector participants. Following are the highlights of BSF’s achievements within its five-year operational period initiated in March1998 and ended in June 2003. 1. BSF grainage – exclusive facilities ensuring high quality DFL production Supply of quality silkworm eggs is a key factor determining the productivity of cocoon, and the quality and yield of silk yarn. Production of superior local silk has suffered for decades due to unavailability of good quality silkworm eggs. In order to ensure production of high yielding, healthy silk worms, BSF was responsible for introducing technologically up-to-date silk moth reproduction facilities at Bogra, Jhenidah and Mainamoti. BSF has developed 3 of its leased grainages into technically unique institutions those are capable of producing and handling both local and foreign silkworm varieties and their multiplication. As a result, BSF’s dfls have been proven to be of better quality when compared to the others. Dfls are supplied in small boxes for the first time in Bangladesh instead of paper cards. Each box contains 50, 000 grains as per international standard. During project tenure BSF supplied about 2.0 million hybrid dfls to the beneficiaries for commercial cocoon production.  2. Technology dissemination – training support appropriate for the grassroots To upgrade skill of the silk workers and introduce improved technologies, the SDP had a strong training component. The SDP training program introduced for the first time (a) substantive training for the cocoon producers and (b) refresher courses for the field staff. BSF’s Field training programme was designed in a different manner of learning by doing approaches. A very pragmatic training curriculum and systematic training module largely helped both trainers and the trainees to understand the lessons taught. Trainers are given TOT and orientation training about the technological and methodological approaches. This component has been implemented in participation with the major NGO stakeholders namely BRAC, Caritas, Proshika, RDRS, TMSS and IIRD through special contracts in 26 training centres. Till March 2003, it has been possible to conduct total 251 batches training Comprising altogether 5,654 beneficiaries.   3. Demonstration chawki rearing (DCR) – a healthy beginning for improved cocoon productivity The critical stage of silkworm rearing is the first 1-8 days after hatching, when the young silkworms have little tolerance in respect of temperature, humidity, lighting and food quality. Most rearers cannot maintain separate rooms for silkworm rearing. It is commonly seen that they rear silkworms in the same room where they live. At these sub-optimal environmental conditions, mortality can be very high during the young stage of silkworms. The result is low productivity of cocoon and low earnings for the rearers. If the silkworms can be skillfully reared through the first week of their lives, the probability of subsequent crop failure would be low because the late age silkworms are far more tolerant of the sub-optimal conditions. This problem can be reduced or overcome by introducing chawki rearing system where one chawki rearer, who has acquired necessary skill in rearing, will hatch the required silkworm eggs in ideal environment and continue rearing for a period of 7-8 days. Then he/she will distribute the young silkworms to the late age rearers or out-growers. This system has an additional advantage, too. It reduces the duration of each rearing cycle of the late age rearers by 7-10 days, which enables them to rear at least 1.5 times as many crops during a year subject to the availability of mulberry leaves. Chawki rearing practices are not widespread in Bangladesh. Under the Silk evelopment Project, the BSF was required to set up 100 chawki rearing demonstration units using rearers selected by the partner NGOs on the basis of skill and aptitude of the rearers. The BSF would arrange training of chawki rearers. The Silk Development Project would finance the cost of setting up the demonstration units through contracts with the NGOs based on cost sharing arrangements. The project would finance the cost of plantation development, rearing house and appliances while the chawki rearers would provide labour and working capital, and the NGOs would make available extension services. The BSF provided hands-on training to all demonstration chawki rearers under the guidance of a silkworm rearing adviser. As of December 2003, 106 demonstration chawki rearers were set up by BSF. It has been recorded that the average cocoon productivity as well as daily income of the DCR supported late age rearers (LARs) was higher than those of non-DCR rearers. The outcome has been quite positive in bringing down the mortality of silkworm during late age rearing. The demonstration units succeeded in making chawki rearing practice popular and it was found that some of the late age rearers were sharing labour with the chawki rearers during the first two to three stages of rearing before distributing amongst themselves the late age silkworms. 4. Support for bush mulberry plantation – a new strategy for Bangladesh For intensive silk production, it is necessary to undertake bush and low-cut types of mulberry plantation. Bush plantation was concentrated mainly in the traditional silk area of Bholahat. The practice of roadside plantation was adopted by various NGOs in their attempt to develop sericulture in different parts of the country. The advantage of roadside plantation is that it does not use cultivable land, and therefore, does not compete with other crops. Many of the roadside trees were, however, destroyed during the flood of 1998. Besides flood damage, there are two other disadvantages in tree plantation. During dry season, roadside dust covers the mulberry leaves, which is not healthy for use as silkworm feed. Also, roadside tree leaves often become used as livestock feed. Under the Silk Development Project, bush mulberry plantation program was undertaken by the BSF to increase mulberry areas and also to make up for the flood damage. BSF initiated bush and low-cut type of mulberry plantation. During the project period, 200 hectares of land was planned to be brought under plantation in different NGO covered areas. Each NGO beneficiary would provide land and labour and the BSF would finance plantation through the NGOs. Those who did not have land of their own would be supported by the NGOs through the provision of credit for leasing-in land. By December 2002, total 193.6 hectares of land was brought under bush and low cut type of plantation by 1656 farmers. The average area of plantation per farmer was estimated at 30 decimal. Premier NGOs like BRAC, Proshika &  RDRS participated in this program. 5. Extension services – useful intervention for successful crop harvesting Extension services are critical in sericulture activities and historically this has been provided by the BSB and the large NGOs. However, available extension services have always fallen short of the need, particularly in the case of rearers covered by the smaller NGOs. To meet the additional demand for extension staff, the SDP had a support component under which it was to finance the salaries of incremental extension staff of participating NGOs. Five NGOs namely TMSS, IIRD, BRAC, RDRS and Proshika have availed benefit of this support programme. Till December 2002, total 126 SDP supported Extension Support Staffs (ESS) have been working under these NGOs. BSF has been trying to disseminate updated technologies through the ESS by way of short training courses, workshops and discussion meeting. The deployed ESS mainly assisted the beneficiaries in establishing new bush mulberry plantation, dfls distribution, disinfection, silkworm rearing and marketing of cocoons. BSF support for recruiting extension staff on a cost-sharing basis was very helpful for the NGO sericulture programs, as it had allowed them to recruit specialist staff on a fulltime basis. It was reported that monitoring and supervision of plantation, egg hatching and cocoon rearing by extension staff had significantly increased during the project period. 6. Action research – calls for sustainability in cocoon and raw silk production Under the Silk Development Project, the BSF implemented an Action Research Program under contract with the BSRTI. Action research is a new concept for field application of proven technologies through multidisciplinary team consisting of researchers, field workers and beneficiaries. Within this, programme constraints and solutions for adoption of proven technologies and the economics have been studied thoroughly. BSF and BSRTI jointly conducted two short-term action researches: (i) improvement in silkworm rearing productivity and (ii) improvement in post-cocoon reeling productivity during seven cocoon crops from September 2001 to June 2003. The objectives of the Improvement in Silkworm Rearing Productivity Program were: (i) to identify the factors that affected production of cocoon in Bangladesh compared to other subtropical countries and (ii) and to bring about necessary improvements in rearing based on the research findings. While the objective of Improvement in Post-cocoon Reeling Productivity was to enhance productivity in reeling and improve the quality of raw silk produced out of local cocoons. The research activities were carried out in the laboratory as well as in the field. The strategy was to identify and remove the constraints that were holding back the realization of the comparative advantages in cocoon processing in Bangladesh. The research was undertaken in three phases covering five crop seasons between September 2001 and December 2002 followed by two mass trial productions in another two crops from January to June 2003.   In all, 120 rearers were selected for the action research. Out of them 40 rearers were treated as test farmers (30 from different NGOs and 10 from Bholahat) and the rest 80 (20 from Bholahat and 60 from NGOs) were treated as control rearers. The average cocoon yield of the test farmers has increased from 22 kg to 62 kg as against 33 kg for control farmers respectively. Economic and financial analyses conducted showed that the revenue of test rearers is always much higher compared to the control rearers. Net value added (labour plus profit) for the test rearers is Tk. 1,371 against only Tk. 608 for control rearers. The net earnings per labour day for test rearers is Tk. 65 against Tk. 27 for control rearers. Under Action Research II, 20 reeling units (8 with cottage basin, 5 with katghai, another 5 with Thai reeling machine & 2 with indigenous charka) were selected from four different agro-ecological zones of the country. New reeling packages were introduced for all reeling devices with necessary technical modifications/guidance based on the experience of the first phase. With improvements in reelability and recovery rate the mean renditta and denier became lower. Improvement in denier was also achieved by increasing the efficiency of the reelers. Through this project average renditta (kg of cocoons required to produce 1 kg raw silk) came down to below 10 against 14.5 in the control reeling. Silk recovery was increased to above 70% against 52% in the control. Associate properties have been improved a lot in the test reeling and received better prices. 7. Product Development and Market Promotion BSF deployed about a dozen international, regional and local experts on silk reeling, weaving, fabric design, dyeing and finishing. These experts worked directly with the silk fabric manufacturers with a view to exchange ideas and attitudes on the constraints for improving product quality and provide appropriate technology guidance. BSF organized several workshops and short-training sessions at different silk weaving areas of the country (Rajshahi, Chapai Nawabganj, Tangail, Madhupur, Dhaka, Jessore and Rangamati), participated by local silk fabric manufacturers. The subjects covered included: i) Silk reeling, ii) Yarn preparation, iii) Silk degumming and dyeing, iv) Silk weaving technology, iv) Fabric design development and v) Management of Silk Weaving Factory. Through these workshops and short training sessions, practical methods were demonstrated and practiced, such as, use of pigment, natural, reactive and acid dyes on silk, problems of colour fast-ness and its solutions. Silk weavers were taught about the banned dyes, which is crucial for exportable products. Several practical training sessions were organized at the weavers’ locality. In these sessions weavers were taught how to manufacture silk twill and crep silk using 4 harnesses. Similarly, process of manufacturing different fabric designs using 4 – 12 harnesses were also demonstrated. The experts introduced Dobby shading mechanisms in the power loom and hand dobby in chittaranjan looms. These sessions largely benefited silk weavers to diversify their product and improve product quality. For promotion of Bangladesh silk products in the global market, one international and one local consultant were deployed. The consultants visited different silk product manufacturing units and selected several items that may be promoted for export marketing. With these fabrics, the consultants developed some home furnishing items and demonstrated in a workshop. All these attempts by BSF have helped the silk manufacturers in improving the quality of their products. BSF organized 22 training sessions for the silk fabric manufacturers where 355 beneficiaries participated and benefited.   Training sessions No. of course No. of participants Cocoon processing and reeling 1 13 Yarn preparation and weaving 3 64 Fabric design 16 225 Dyeing and printing 2 53 Total 22 355 Evaluation by IDA Supervision Mission  Progress with the technical and productivity improvement has enabled yields and returns to labour to exceed the targets set at appraisal. This pilot project has now provided the first unequivocal demonstrations that Bangladesh’s potential comparative advantage in sericulture and cocoon processing can be realized under field conditions. Evaluation by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) BSF has demonstrated its effectiveness in coordinating the activities by various stakeholders and improving the technical efficiency of the silk production and has proved its worth in putting the sector at the cross roads towards fuller exploitation of potential of the sector. New Project : “Sustainable Silk Development Programme” After completion of Silk Development Project in June 2003, BSF concentrated to carry over some programmes like quality silk egg production and technical services out of its own fund with a view to maintain productivity gain of the SDP at the field. In July 2005, BSF undertook a new project “Sustainable Silk Development” with the financial assistance from the GOB. The objectives of this project are to make silk foundation and its grainages financially self-sustained through a number of sericulture related activities like commercial dfls production, commercial cocoon production, silk production, training and silk product marketing. Initially, the project financing is granted for 2 years (2005-06 & 2006-07) and expected to extend for next three years (2007-08 to 2009-10). Sustainable Silk Development Programme started from July 2005 and would be continued up to June 2007. Achievement updates up to March 2007 are tabulated. Sl. No. Description of the activities Target  (Jul’05- Jun’07) Achievements (Jul’05- Mar’07) 1 Mulberry cultivation and maintenance of mulberry lands 206 Bigha 197 Bigha   2 Production of hybrid silkworm eggs 6.00 Lakh (as per demand) 3.50 Lakh 3 Production of commercial silk cocoons 20,000 kg 12,423 kg 4 Production of quality silk yarn 2000 kg 1,067 kg raw silk and spun silk 5 Training 200 nos. 89 nos. 6 Employment 1,00000 man-days 60,000 man-days