Climate change unravels the silk industry of Assam

Mubina Akhtar
Oct. 29, 2015

Assam, in North-east India, produces one of the finest, and most expensive, types of silk in the world. Produced by the semi-domesticated silkworm Antheraea assamensis, which is only found in the Brahmaputra Valley, this silk is called Muga – Assamese for “yellow” or “amber” – and is often called golden silk. This silk has been produced in the region from as far back as 321 BC, and is an inextricable part of the life and culture of Assam. Unfortunately silkworms are highly sensitive to climatic conditions since they are grown outdoors. Recently unpredictable rainfall patterns, a rise in temperature and persistent floods have endangered Muga cocoon production across the state.

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The Dhemaji district in northern Assam is a major Muga growing area. About 98% of the people of the district live in the rural areas and agriculture is the principal occupation for more than 85% of the people. These families are also engaged in Muga cultivation. Muga cultivation is a labour intensive activity and almost all the family members of the household are involved in silkworm rearing, silk reeling and weaving. Unfortunately for the farmers of Dhemaji floods are destroying the basis of this industry.

The district has experienced recurrent floods, on an annual basis for the last few years. The Dhemaji Agriculture Department put the number of farm families affected this year at 50,500. Assam has an average family size of just under 5 people per family, which would mean that almost 250,000 people would have been affected out of a total population of about 700,000. A total of 3,718 hectares of agricultural land was covered in silt this year, pushing the affected people to search alternative livelihood in non-agricultural sector.

The floods and siltation have destroyed, or endangered, plantations of the Som plant, on which the Muga silkworms feed. The Som plantations – known as Sumonis – have been gradually destroyed as they have either been displaced, or their roots buried in sandy silt. Kusha Sonowal of Laomuri village, Dhemaji, said that the unavailability of good quality seeds has severely affected indigenous Muga rearing. Abandoning her expertise in weaving, she now helps her family run a small tea stall some 2 kilometres from her home.

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The silkworm needs temperatures of around 30-35 degree Celsius (86-95F) and a humidity level of 80-85% in order to thrive. Dhemaji suffered heavy losses in Muga production in the last couple of years as silkworms died out due to the increase of air temperature and humidity, according to the Sericulture Department of Assam. The current records show the annual rainfall of the district ranges from 2600 mm to 3200 mm, the relative humidity varies from 90% to 73% while the temperature varies between 39.9C (103.82F) in summer and 5.9C (42.62F) in winter. Changes in temperature and humidity lead to diseases like Flacherie, and Grasserie that can wipe out an entire lot of silkworms.

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Climate change compels tea cultivators to use more pesticides to kill pests and mites in their garden. This pesticide contaminates the air, and silkworms die when they breathe in the pesticides used in tea gardens nearby.

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