To boost the silk industry in the state, the Sericulture department has proposed a facelift to the famous Ramanagara cocoon market, which attracts the highest sales of cocoon among the 26 commercial markets in the state.
Along with this, the Haveri cocoon market will also be refurbished with additional infrastructure, making it beneficial for farmers in North Karnataka.
The new infrastructure in these markets will include a new building with multi-level market, better facilities for weighing cocoons and their movement from tray to tray and parking facilities, among others. The department has also proposed overnight staying facilities for farmers, considering that several of them come from different parts of the state to sell cocoons here.
“Farmers come to these markets not just from different parts of the state but also from neighbouring states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. They come the previous night ahead of cocoon auction and have no place to rest. We want it to be a smoother experience for them,” Sericulture Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri said. To this end, the department has written to the state government, requesting funds worth Rs 100 crore from the upcoming state budget.
Also, eight cocoon markets in the state will get testing centres. While at the moment there is a rudimentary testing system, which is not serving the purpose, the new centres will help reelers test the quality of the produce at the time of auction. For farmers, this will ensure a higher price for good quality cocoons, according to officials. The centres will come up at Vijayapura, Kollegala, Kolar, Sidlaghatta, Kanakapura, Channapatna, Chintamani and Ramanagara — all expected to function in three months.
Both Ramanagara and Sidlaghatta will get two centres each. The cost of equipment per centre is pegged at Rs 20 lakh.
After the silk is removed from the cocoon, the pupa, which is potential fodder for animals and useful in cosmetics, is being treated as waste at present. The stench from the remains has often been a cause of conflict between the locals and the Automatic Reeling Machine (ARM) centres which process the cocoons. To make the system more efficient, the department will also set up a pupa processing centre, an official said.