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Cocoon marketing through Central Silk Board auction

Mulberry cocoons in India are sold mainly through government-regulated auction markets operated jointly by state sericulture departments and supervised by the Central Silk Board (CSB). These markets standardise grading, weighment and price discovery between cocoon farmers and silk reelers.

Overview

Cocoon auctions follow a system of open or sealed bidding in which CSB-licensed reelers inspect lots, place bids based on shell ratio, denier and uniformity, and the highest bid is accepted by the seller. The Ramanagara Government Cocoon Market in Karnataka, located about 40 km from Bengaluru, is among the largest cocoon markets in Asia and handles roughly 40,000-50,000 kg of cocoons per day.

Eligibility

Sellers are registered sericulture farmers who present cocoons of standard varieties, primarily bivoltine (Bivoltine Silkworm) and crossbreed hybrids reared on mulberry leaf (Mulberry Cultivation Sericulture) and harvested from approved mountages (see Chandrika Mountage). Buyers are CSB-licensed reelers and silk twisters.

Benefit and structure

The CSB maintains a national daily cocoon and silk price database that is broadcast to farmers through SMS and through the Karnataka sericulture department and CSB portals. Historical CSB data show bivoltine cocoon prices at Ramanagara averaging around Rs 376 per kg (minimum Rs 324, maximum Rs 470) in late 2013, with strong day-to-day variation tied to reeler demand and silk grade.

Implementation

Each consignment is graded for moisture, defective cocoon percentage and shell ratio before lots are assigned to bidding. Payment is normally released on the same day, with weighment supervised by state market staff. Markets also serve as the point of contact for extension services such as CSB advisories on disease outbreaks, mountage sanitation and chawki rearing (see Chawki Rearing Centre).

See also: Bivoltine Silkworm, Mulberry Cultivation Sericulture, Chawki Rearing Centre, Chandrika Mountage, Disease Free Layings Dfl.

References

  1. Government Cocoon Market, Ramanagara. Ramanagara District Administration.
  2. Cocoon Marketing. SILKS Ramanagara portal, Central Silk Board.
  3. Commercial Cocoons Rates. Department of Sericulture, Karnataka.