CHANDIGARH, Sept. 15 -- With demand for silk products rising, the Punjab forest department has expanded its sericulture initiative to Hoshiarpur after Pathankot, launching a project in the Dasuya forest division aimed at improving the livelihoods of landless, marginal and small farmers by putting vacant forest land in the Kandi belt to productive use.

The project is being implemented under the Union ministry of textiles, with the Bengaluru-headquartered Central Silk Board (CSB), and has already received approval.

Sericulture refers to rearing silkworms for silk production, involving mulberry cultivation, silkworm rearing, and harvesting silk cocoons.

The project, titled "Livelihood Improvement of Sericulture Farmers in Dasuya Forest Di...