Chandigarh, Sep 21 (IANS): To boost the income of farmers by selling products associated with agricultural allied occupations, the Punjab government has taken a step towards introducing state-produced silk products to the market under its own label.

During the state-level ‘Silk Day’ function here, Horticulture Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra launched the department's logo for silk products, marking the commencement of the initiative.

He announced that every effort would be made to double silk production by the end of 2025.

Jauramajra said sericulture is currently practised in approximately 230 villages across the sub-mountainous districts of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Ropar, with 1,200 to 1,400 silk rearers.

The state primarily produces two types of silk: bivoltine mulberry and eri silk. Annually, 1,000 to 1,100 ounces of mulberry silk seeds are reared, yielding 30,000 to 35,000 kg of mulberry silk cocoons, while 200 ounces of eri silk seeds produce 5,000 to 8,000 kg of silk cocoons.

“This occupation is predominantly adopted by people living below the poverty line, landless individuals or those with small landholdings,” said the minister, adding currently a silk rearer earns an annual income of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000, which is considered insufficient.

Jouramajra said the government would establish its own reeling units to process cocoons, ensuring silk farmers receive higher prices for their produce.

He said a reeling unit for converting cocoons into silk thread is being set up in Pathankot. With the operationalisation of this unit, the income of silk rearers can potentially increase by 1.5 to two times.

Addressing the gathering, Special Chief Secretary (Horticulture) K.A.P. Sinha said the state has 13 government sericulture farms and with the established infrastructure at these farms, the department's technical staff is providing necessary facilities to silk farmers, such as plantation assistance, distribution of silkworm eggs, rearing young silkworms and support for cocoon marketing.