Srinagar, Sep 07: The procurement of more than one lac Kgs of cocoon by Jammu and Kashmir Industries (JKI) is set to benefit 40 thousand families associated with the cocoon rearing in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The JKI officials said that the department will procure cocoons from growers across the Union Territory as part of efforts to provide relief from coronavirus-induced lockdown.
As per the ongoing cocoon auction being conducted by the Sericulture department, we would be procuring 60, 000 kg of cocoon from Jammu division and 50,000 kg from Kashmir of Grade A and B respectively,” the officials informed.
They said that it will bring economic benefit and relief to the cocoon rearers. “The move assumes more significance because of the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic as envisaged no buyers from outside Jammu and Kashmir participated in the auction process,”.
“Further by ensuring a fair price to the cocoon produce, JKI has ensured that the cocoon rearers are sufficiently rewarded for their produce. “The procurement of the cocoons in large numbers has been facilitated due to the fact of the establishment/modernization of the silk reeling and weaving units both at Jammu and Kashmir Divisions of Jammu and Kashmir by JKI. Government Silk weaving Unit and Silk filatures have been set up by Jammu Kashmir Industries at Bari Brahmana Jammu with a total cost of Rs 23.50 crores which were inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor in February 2020,” the officials informed.
“The newly established Silk Filatures unit which has an annual capacity of production of 40 MT of Silk yarn by consuming around 123 MT of cocoon produced in Jammu and Kashmir is providing much needed relief to the families associated with the cocoon rearing in the Jammu region”.
Similarly in the Kashmir Division the Modernization of government Silk Weaving Factory Rajbagh is being undertaken under the World Bank Funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project with a project cost of Rs 23.54 crores would increase the weaving capacity of the Government.
“Silk Weaving Factory Rajbagh to 5.00 lac meters per annum. The requirement of silk yarn would be around 40,000 kgs when the Government Silk Weaving factory at Rajbagh achieves optimum capacity level. For extracting this quantity of yarn, about 1, 20,000 kgs of cocoon would be consumed”.
Accordingly, the revival of Kashmir Filatures has been completed with a project cost of Rs.5.67 crores and the unit stands inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor in July 2020.
These efforts of JKI in securing the livelihood of the cocoon rearers would help in a long way in reclaiming the lost glory of the Silk Industry in Jammu and Kashmir which was world famous in the 20th Century. (KINS)
