Punjab to launch silk products under its own brand

Horticulture minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra on Saturday launched the department’s logo for silk products, marking the commencement of an initiative to introduce state-produced silk products to the market under its own label.

Horticulture minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra on Saturday launched the department’s logo for silk products, marking the commencement of an initiative to introduce state-produced silk products to the market under its own label.

Horticulture minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra on Saturday launched the department’s logo for silk products, marking the commencement of an initiative to introduce state-produced silk products to the market under its own label. (HT File)

During the state-level silk day function at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA) here, he announced that every effort would be made to double the silk production in the state by the end of 2025.

Jouramajra said sericulture is currently practiced in approximately 230 villages across the sub-mountainous districts of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Ropar with 1,200 to 1,400 silk rearers engaged in this occupation. A silk rearer earns an annual income of ₹40,000 to ₹50,000, which is considered insufficient, he said.

Addressing the issue of fair prices for silk produce to increase farmers’ income, the government would establish its own reeling units to process cocoons, ensuring silk farmers receive higher prices for their produce. He said that a reeling unit for converting cocoons into silk thread is being set up in Pathankot.