Union Textiles Minister Kavuri Sambasiva Rao laid the foundation stone for a cocoon market modernisation project here on Saturday.
The facilities that will be coming up on the existing cocoon market are a sericulture polyclinic, silk testing centre and a common facility centre, costing a total of Rs 3.50 crore.
The project partly funded by the State government and the Central Silk Board will benefit about 20,000 mulberry farmers and weavers in nine coastal districts.
Later, addressing a far mers’ convention at the Lions’ Club Hall, Mr. Sambasiva Rao said farmers should strive to achieve higher yields.
They could replicate the farming techniques and technologies adopted by farmers in Anantapur district and Karnataka where farmers were able to earn remunerative prices for their produce.
The Textiles Ministry would extend full cooperation for development of infrastructure and in bringing out superior varieties of mulberry plants and silkworms, Mr. Sambasiva Rao promised to the farmers.
Central Silk Board Director (Technical) B. Sarat Chandra, Commissioner for Sericulture C.S. Ramalakshmi, MLC Boddu Nageswara Rao, MLA Dasari Balavardhana Rao and others were present.
Farmers from Krishna, West Godavari and Khammam districts appealed for larger financial assistance to be able to overcome hardships caused by higher input costs and market adversities.
