A Three-day training to 1,500 farmers for mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing concluded in Poonch division of AJK. “It was primarily aimed at facilitating farmers in practical working with the due technical assistance and support of the AJK State Department of Sericulture through the distribution of rearing kits among the trained farmer,” said Syed Ali Asghar Shah, Director AJK Sericulture Department while talking to APP, here, on Saturday. “A large number of lady farmers also participated in the training program showing their keen interest in silkworm rearing,” said Syed Ali Asghar Shah. The head of the state sericulture department stated that in continuation of the distribution of 174 rearing Kits with imported and local Silk Seed Packets in the recent past, eighty rearing kits were distributed among the remaining farmers trained at District Haveeli / Kahouta, Rawlakot District Poonch and Gorah District Sudhnoti during last two days. Syed Ali Asghar Shah disclosed that Chinese produced well as local silk seed packets shall also be distributed amongst these farmers during the upcoming rearing season (spring 2023) to these trained farmers, told by the Director Sericulture during distribution ceremonies if Rearing Kits at various localities of the State. The Sericulture Department, the Director, underlined, has also inked an integrated plan to distribute thousands of mulberry plants with Urea fertilizer amongst the sericulture farmers during upcoming season of mulbery trees plantation in the AJK State to facilitate the farmers for silkworm rearing in the future stipulated seasons. Muzaffar Hussain Gorsi Sericulture Development Officer Pounch, Mr Salaar Mehmood and Mr Daoud Abdulla ASDO Haveeli and Sudhnoti also attended the Kits Distribution ceremonies held at Haveeli, Rawalakot and Sudhnoti inviting farmers to participate in the cottage Industry of Sericulture as maximum as possible to be benefited of it economically. According to a study conducted by this APP Correspondent, Sericulture is a traditional and home based industry of the Kashmir providing additional source of income for poor and landless farmers. A farmer may earn more than Rs 30,000/ by rearing on packet of silk seed within 35 days. The activity is equally important for poverty alleviation, women empowerment and environmental improvement of the state. During last rearing season an amount of Rs. 13 million had been recorded as a direct income earned by the farmers in the private sector by rearing silk seed packets provided free of cost by the Sericulture department in Azad Jammu Kashmir.