Koderma Mica Belt Tasar Sericulture

Koderma district sits in the mica belt of Jharkhand where muscovite mica is mined from pegmatite veins alongside subsistence tribal agriculture and tasar silkworm rearing in arjun forest plots. Koderma tasar cooperative members rear silkworms under the guidance of Central Silk Board extension workers who provide quality broodlac and technical assistance for three to four rearing seasons annually. The tasar cocoon reeled at Koderma's cluster of reeling units is sent to Bhagalpur and Murshidabad weavers who weave it into Tussar silk fabric; Koderma's tribals participate as primary producers in this silk value chain but receive only 15 to 20 percent of the final fabric's value, a distribution gap that cooperative programmes try to address.