1.59 lakh kg of white silk cocoons sold at Coimbatore cocoon market

Coimbatore: According to officials, 1.59 lakh kg of white silk cocoons have been sold at the Coimbatore cocoon market in the last six months.

There is a cocoon store on Balasundaram Road, Coimbatore. Farmers engaged in silk production in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Theni and Dindigul districts bring white cocoon to Coimbatore for sale.

The cocoon produced by the farmers will be placed in the shops and auctioned by the authorities. Prices will be based on Ramanagara Central Silk Cocoon Market, Karnataka. Sarvodaya Associations and private dealers who participate in the auction and buy silk cocoons at a higher price than the price fixed by the government.

Due to the coronavirus lockdown, silk stores across Tamil Nadu were closed at the end of March and until the first two weeks of April and May. In the last 6 months, 1.59 lakh kg of white silk cocoon has been sold at the Coimbatore silkworm market.

Abdul Farooq, Assistant Director, Coimbatore District Silk Development Board, said: “We have set a target of selling 3.1 lakh kg of cocoons to Coimbatore this financial year. It came to a standstill as the store was closed in April and May. The cocoons have been on sale since the second week of May with the approval of the Collector at the request of the farmers."

He also added that, "1.59 lakh kg of cocoons have been sold in the last 6 months. It is planned to sell more cocoons than the target by the end of this financial year. Accordingly, the supply of cocoons has increased at present. An average of 1 ton of cocoons is sold per day. The Coimbatore store has a larger presence than the Dharmapuri silk market, which is the largest in Tamil Nadu. The price of cocoons is also currently on the rise. They fetch a maximum of Rs 350 per kilo. The money for the cocoons is credited to the farmer's bank account within a maximum of one week."