Revive the Ishwardi Silk Seed Farm

It is shocking to learn of the fate of the state-owned Ishwardi Silk Seed Farm in Pabna. Established in 1962 on 107 bighas of land, the farm once played an important role in our silk industry. It produced silkworms, cocoons and yarn, created jobs, and supported rural livelihoods. Today, much of that legacy lies buried under weeds, dilapidated buildings and institutional apathy. 

Reportedly, the farm’s decline began in 2018 after staff salaries were stopped. What was once a fully functioning complex with rearing houses, laboratories, weaving sheds and ponds has remained largely abandoned since then. Activities have shrunk to a single room manned by just two officials, while one night security guard struggles to protect a vast, deteriorating property. Currently, the facility only plants mulberry trees to supply saplings to other silk farms across the country, with no production work taking place on the site. The infrastructure has crumbled, equipment has gone unused, and theft has occurred in the absence of proper monitoring. Around 50,000 mulberry trees have reportedly been lost due to neglect. Silkworm rearing has also remained suspended for seven years because of a lack of manpower and funding. This once-profitable facility has been left to incur losses simply because no timely intervention was made to stabilise operations and address governance failures.

The condition of this farm exposes how important state assets, including public-sector industrial and agro-based institutions, are often allowed to decay through prolonged neglect. Sericulture is a labour-intensive and environmentally friendly industry with the potential to generate rural employment, particularly for women, while also reducing dependence on imported yarn. Allowing such a facility to fall into ruin raises serious questions about the government’s economic and development priorities.

We urge the government to urgently revive the farm for the greater benefit of the silk sector. It must address the funding and manpower shortages that were the key reasons behind the farm’s decline. This will require a clear revival plan. The government should immediately allocate emergency maintenance funds, settle legitimate salary arrears, restore essential facilities, and deploy trained technical staff in the facility. Beyond this, it should reassess the business model of state-run silk farms by exploring public-private partnerships, decentralised management, and stronger accountability mechanisms to prevent a repeat of such wastage of public assets.