Assam Erifriend Society is an organization formed by few ex-boarders of Darrang College boy’s hostel stayed during the period of 1990 and it works for publicity and expansion of eri farming in Assam. You can find details of our vision here. It is our immense pleasure to inform you that Assam Erifriend Society has already started eri firming awareness program by arranging awareness camp in different places of Assam. As a result of our effort, for the first time in Assam, eri firming has started in a commercial way--with parallel to eri rearing, people have started food plant cultivation for the eri silkworms.

After bringing historic revolution of eri cultivation in Assam, Erifriend society has extended its mission to the next level--“encouraging people for hand spinning eri yarn and weaving eri cloths”. Hand-spinning eri yarn and hand-weaved eri cloths -- both are considered as absolutely quality products in textile industry. In fact, only hand weaved eri cloth can be considered as a real silk cloth as it contains all the qualities that a real silk cloth should have -- many of these qualities are not available in spun mill produced silk cloths. Although eri silk was woven by Assamese women from ancient time, but the aspect of its industrialization has been getting neglected always. The reason behind it, from our study, we found that eri spinner lack the enthusiasm to produce more eri yarn as there is no market open for them to sell their yarn in a sustainable market price; while eri weaver doesnt have any option to buy eri yarn form a market to produce eri cloths in commercial level--also selling eri cloths is a big challenge for the weaver. So Erifriend society is coming forward to bridge the gap between eri spinners and weavers by providing a depository for eri yarn. Erifriend will help the spinner by collecting and storing yarn from them -- then supply those to weavers. In later phase, Erifriend will help weavers to sell their handmade eri cloths in right place with right market price. To keep transparency in the whole process, Erifriend will listing the names and collected yarns of eri spinner in the website. Similarly, name of the weavers and quantity of supplied yarn to them will be also listed. Also, Erifriend will help bringing awareness about various government schemes among the eri spinner and weavers to make them maximum benefited from these schemes. Hope our effort will help the spinner and weaver to walk together hand in hand towards a bright future and in getting a new identity for Assam across the Globe.

Even though you are not an eri farmer, still you can participate in our mission by providing your valuable suggestions through email/call/personal-visit by using the email-id/phone-numbers/office-address mentioned in our contact us page.

Let us work together for a common goal--“Eri Silk : The Golden Future of Assam”.

Assam—a land of blue hills and rivers with immense beauty of greenery, is also enriched by many valuable gifts of mother Nature. Very truly said—

“Mother Assam is Beautiful, Her Virtues are Infinite…”
--Dr. Bhupen Hazarika [great Aassamese lyricist and musician]

Undoubtedly, eri silk is one of a precious gift by the nature for the people of Assam. Accepting this gift with our heartfelt gratitude, Assam Erifriend Society is born with the vision-- “Eri Silk—the Golden future of Assam”.

Eri Silk is glory and traditions of Assam. Almost 80% production of this silk, collected from the moth called Samia cynthia--mainly found in North-East India and some places of China and Japan, is contributed only by Assam. The word Eri, pronounced as “Edhi” in Assamese, comes from Assamese word “Edha”, which is actually a well-known plant [Ricinus communis] and its leafs [edha pat—in Assamese] are main food of the eri silkworm [Samia ricini]. Also, leafs of another plant called “keseru”, widely available in Assam, is one of a good food for these silkworms. This wood-white silk is more famous in all over the world in comparison to other three silks--Mulberry, Muga and Tasar because of its quality of more cotton like nature, protectiveness from both cold and warm and as nonviolence silk since it is processed from cocoons without killing the pupae inside. Interestingly climate of Assam is considered as best for eri farming in entire world. This silk can be cultivated inside a residential home and investment is very less in comparison to other silks. Even a woman independently can manage it.

Commercially eri cultivation is one of a highly profitable cultivation with minimum investment. Though cocoon is the main product of this cultivation but pupae is also a very good food. Highly protein contained pupae is an extremely delicious food having high market value due to its quality of curing many diseases. Also, excreta of this moth are very good organic manure. Moreover, highly valuable castor oil is produced from the seeds of the eri plants which are generally planted for the food of the silkworms. As eri farmers can be directly profited by the eri cultivation, at the same time there is huge possibilities of making good income by associating themselves in the business of pupae, excreta, and castor-oil-seeds.

Considering all these possibilities, Assam Erifriend society is endeavoring to publicize and expand the eri cultivation so that eri farmers can earn maximum profit by making themselves free from the middle-man’s market monopoly. Although Assamese people have been rearing silk moth since the days of their ancestor but they don’t farming eri plant in a systematic process to produce food for the moth. Therefor Assam Erifriend Society is attempting to expand eri farming by bringing alertness among the eri farmers living across various places of Assam. Since eri farming is as profitable like other farming, so Erifriend Society able to get tremendous success in this area. Assam Erifriend Society helps eri farmers to sell cocoon, pupae, excreta and castor-oil-seeds in right place with right price. It is noticed, for the market monopoly of middle-man, eri farmers often unable to get actual price and benefits from various government schemes. So the farmers, who are capable to do eri farming in multiple times in a year by cultivating Edhi and Keseru plant in a commercial way, is being listed in the web site of Assam Erifriend Society. Total eri production of the farmer, obtained price…etc. all data will be listed in the web site. As a result, eri farmers will able to connect directly to the government and get all kind of benefits from various government schemes. Moreover, it will become more convenient for the eri farmers to connect to the textile industry of entire world to get right price for their silk product.

Life cycle of eri moth is a rare natural phenomena. Eri farming is totally pollution free. Rare life cycle of eri moth and pollution free eri-village can be an attraction for the tourists. It will help in the growth of Assam’s tourism industry. Expansion of eri-farming will create new opportunities of income in various fields. Actually, expansion of eri-farming will create an economic revolution—it will establish Assam as a rich and developed state in India. Keeping all these hope in eyes, Assam Erifriend Society has been working hard for a better future of Assam. Our ambition—“Eri Silk -- the Golden Future of Assam”.