Hamirpur farmers all smiles as silk cocoons fetch high prices

Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, June 26

The bumper produce and high prices of silk cocoons have brought smiles to farmers of the district after an open auction by the Sericulture Department. The department had started silk cocoon open auctions from June 21 in Ghumarwin, Bilaspur, and over 55 quintal cocoon has been auctioned off as of today.

It was learnt that the cocoon producers had fetched Rs 1,300-Rs 1,450 per kg cocoon depending on the quality of the produce. Notably, there were over a thousand cocoon producers in Bilaspur district, with the total cocoon producers in the state being 11,000, spread over 10 sericulture blocks. These blocks are located in the lower reaches of the state — including Ghumarwin, Nadaun, Thunag, Palampur, Mandi, Dhaulakuan, Sandhol, Bali Chowki, Dehra and Shimla.

According to official data, last year, the cocoon production in the state was over 220 metric tonne (MT) and this year it is expected to be around 250 MT. Cocoon buyers from Bengaluru and West Bengal have arrived here to procure quality cocoons. Some local dealers have also been procuring cocoons. Bimla Devi, a villager who lives near Ghumarwin, said cocoons were previously sold at Rs 800-Rs 900 per kg. The open auction process had helped producers in getting better prices, she added, stating that getting good prices incentivise farmers to increase their production of silk cocoons. Deputy Director of Sericulture Baldev Chauhan said this was the first time that the department started open auctioning of cocoons, and the experiment had resulted in better prices. A series of cocoon auctioning fairs are being organised in the state to facilitate cocoon producers, he added. Chauhan said the cocoon auction in Ghumarwin would conclude on June 27. He added that in Mandi district, cocoons would be sold at Pandoh on June 28 and 29, in Sandhol on June 30, in Sayoh on July 1, in Mohin on July 2, in Palampur and Dehra on July 3, Nurpur on July 4, in Nadaun on July 6 and 7, and in Dhaulakuna (Sirmaur) on July 8. If the produce is sold at an average of Rs 1,400 per kg, cocoon producers of the state could fetch over Rs 35 crore, he estimated.

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