A file photo of the cocoon market in Mysuru.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the State government will encourage middle-class reelers to establish automatic silk reeling units to meet the domestic demand for international-grade bivoltine raw silk.

Already, the Central Silk Board (CSB) is extending a subsidy to reelers for establishing automatic silk reeling units of 400 ends and 200 ends.

Presenting the State Budget for 2025-26 in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the middle-class reelers will be encouraged to establish automatic silk reeling units of 120 ends.

Former Deputy Director of Sericulture N.Y. Chigari pointed out that the process of reeling had moved from charaka to cottage basin, then to multi-end reeling, before graduating to automatic silk reeling units. The quality of raw silk relies on the quality of cocoons as well as the technology and machinery used in the reeling process.

Hi-tech silk markets

Meanwhile, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the second phase of work on establishing hi-tech silk markets at Ramanagara and Shidlaghatta will be taken up in the ensuing year at a cost of ₹250 crore.

The first phase of work has been completed, he added.

Cocoon market in Mysuru

A second cocoon market will be established with the assistance of NABARD in Mysuru to help sericulture farmers of Mysuru and surrounding regions, Mr. Siddaramaiah said while reading out the Budget.

The new cocoon market, which is expected to come up on two acres of land in Hosahundi, will be able to handle auctions of around 10 to 12 tonnes of cocoons every day.

The existing cocoon market at the APMC yard in Bandipalya set up in 2018-19 is unable to handle the volume of cocoon arrivals.

The Chief Minister also said that the government will depute assayers for quality testing and grading of cocoons at the government silk markets. Besides, he said ₹55 crore will be allocated during the year for pre and post-cocoon silk activities to expand sericulture in the State.