STATE TIMES NEWS
KATHUA: Sericulture Development Department organised dry silk cocoon auction market at Kishanpur Billawar from 23rd May to 9th June 2015 for auction of the cocoon produced during spring season by cocoon growers of Billawar area.
More than 50 silk cocoon buyers from West Bengal besides three buyers from Kashmir Valley participated and purchased 28,095.350 Kgs dry cocoon (equal to 86,095.050 Kgs green cocoons) from about 4,000 farmers for an amount of Rs. 1,54 Cr at an average rate of Rs. 550 per Kgs. The cocoon was auctioned through open bid system where buyers after assessing the cocoon lots for various quality parameters such as colour, shine, built, shell weight etc offered bids to the lots and competed to buy the cocoons of their choice. The highest bid stood at Rs. 870 in the market.
Rattan Chand son of Sant Ram resident of Tharakalwal earned an amount of Rs. 68,374 for his lot of 86.550 Kgs cocoon at Rs. 790/ Kg.