Eri farming as new lease of life

This 36-year-old woman once juggled two modest incomes to sustain herself. Then she turned to Eri silk farming and got a steady source of earnings, writes Prasanta Mazumdar

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FROM teaching children stories to spinning silk, Meghalaya’s Konica Maiong has found a new path that has transformed her life.

A year ago, the 36-year-old teacher was juggling two modest incomes—around ₹4,000 a month from selling Eri silk cocoon and yarn, and another ₹4,000 from teaching at a local private school. Thanks to an initiative by the RiBhoi district administration, her earnings have quadrupled, and she no longer needs to teach.

“I struggled a lot earlier when I produced cocoon by following the traditional hand-spinning method. My income was less because my production was less. Now, I earn about ₹12,000-₹15,000 a month. I have quit the teacher’s job following this steady income,” Konica says.