Tripura silk growers hit as cheaper foreign varieties arrive

AGARTALA, July 7 ? The arrival of quality silk from abroad threatens of squeeze out of the market looms large the silk farmers of the State. Sericulture Minister Ramendra Chandra Debnath speaking to the reporters at the Secretariat on Saturday said, due to fresh arrival of quality silk from abroad, the local producers have been badly affected as the foreign silk are available at a price much lower than the local ones. He said, ?We were forced to reduce the prices of the local silk so that they could compete in the markets with the foreign ones. Accordingly, we have reduced the prices of the Donear silk variety from Rs 1320 to Rs 1170, twisted ones from Rs 1460 to Rs 1320 and multiend fibre from Rs 1210 to Rs 1140. It is expected that local silk growers will now be able to stand the competition market,? Debnath said. Tripura produces the mulberry silk which are very similar to the Chinese silk in colour and texture but these are sold in the markets at a cheaper rate. As a result of the arrival of the cheap quality silk from outside, huge amount of State produced silk valued at Rs 15 lakh are lying unsold in the co-operative godowns. It may be mentioned here that during the last financial year, the State produced 39.5 metric tonnes of mulberry cocoons which was later converted to 8440 sq metres of silk fabrics. Overall, mulberry silk is reared by about 2214 beneficiaries covering an area of more than 842 acres. ?Due to the existing trend in the market, we are forced to cut down the prices of silk and pay subsidy in turn? the minister said adding that the weavers in the Weavers aApex Co-operative Society will also be affected.