SILK WORM

Every autumn season, the main market places here are flooded everyday with colourful silk worms, not for silk production, but for consumption.
Eri silk worms locally known as “Niang Ryndia” are a delicacy in this part of the hills and are sold at Rs. 160 per kg in different market places. “The silk worms can be deep fried or can be simply boiled for consumption. It tastes somewhat like prawn,” Khara Synrem, an avid lover of Niang Ryndia said.
Four different types of Eri silk worms are reared in Khasi-Jaintia and Ri-Bhoi hills by farmers. “The yellow ones are reared in Ri-Bhoi and the green ones in West Khasi Hills district,” said one of the vendors, doing brisk business at Iewduh (Bara Bazaar).
One of the vendors informed that they get the worms from far off places from Umden in Ri-Bh0i and Nongstoin in West Khasi Hills district. “We do good business during this season,” the vendor added.
Silk worms are considered to be important source of protein to supplement the diet. “The silk worms have medicinal properties too,” another silk worm consumer claimed. Interestingly, the silk worms are sold in liquor joints to supplement as snack, especially in the rural parts of the state.
China and India are the two main producers of silk and together manufacture more than 60 per cent of the world production each year. In India, Assam leads in manufacturing one of the best quality silk.
East Khasi hills District Sericulture Officer, A Kharbani argues that Meghalaya produces better quality than even Japan. “Those sold in the markets are for consumption, but silk worms are also reared in government-run farms and exported to West Bengal and Delhi,” the district sericulture officer said.
Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang recently inaugurated the Eri silk cluster project in Umden Ri-Bhoi district funded by the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and implemented by Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship.