Silk farmers fear loss

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov 15: Sericulture farmers and officials fear that the silk producers here may face loss if they do not get proper market price of cocoons in this present Aghrayani crop season.This time the Malda farmers had to procure silkworm eggs with high prices due to inadequate supply from the government.The price of 100 disease free laying (DFL) was Rs 300 though it was Rs 150 on an average according to the government level every crop season.“The price of cocoons may go down this year if silk from China floods the market. Though anti dumping law was imposed few years back to stop supply of silk from China but at present China silk is coming in Indian market”, said a senior officer of the Malda sericulture department.The Malda cocoon producers depend on the buyers coming from outside here and the government has no system to fix prices of cocoons to save the interest of the farmers, he added.Since last four years Malda farmers got decent profit selling cocoons due to strict imposition of anti dumping law.Now it will depend on the desire of the buyers based on demand and supply, farmers say.“There is no system like Jute Corporation of India to procure produce so that external buyers for cocoons will be bound to pay the rate above the government price,” said Mr Julfikar Ali, a silk trader in Kaliachak.At present the farmers are busy with rearing of silkworms and collecting mulberry plants but the situation may worsen if there is no demand of Malda cocoons.