Raipur: Chhattisgarh government has taken important decisions in the interest of tribal-forest farmers engaged in sericulture and cocoon production in Bastar division. In the same sequence, rally cosa will now be procured by Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Federation on support price. It is worth mentioning that chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had announced the commencement of the Silk Mission in Bastar in his budget speech. In pursuance of this announcement, State Government has decided to procure cocoons at minimum support price through Minor Forest Produce Federation from current financial year. The Minor Forest Produce Federation has issued orders in this regard today.
Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Federation has fixed the minimum support price for procurement of rally kosa in Bastar division as follows:- Rally Kosa is Rs 4.20 per unit shell weight 2.5 grams in Whole Grade-1, Rs 3.60 for 2-2.49 grams per unit shell weight in Grade-2 and Rs 1.4-1.99 grams per unit shell weight in Grade-3. 2.80 for Rally Kosa-Poli Grade-1 and Rs.1.50 for 2.5 grams per unit shell weight, Rs.1.25 for 2-2.49 grams per unit shell weight in Grade-2 and 1.4- per unit shell weight in Grade-3- 1.99 grams is fixed at Rs 0.70. Forest and Climate Change Minister Mohammad Akbar informed that as a result of this important decision of the government, local residents will get double the benefit of production and processing of Rally Kosa.
Providing further information in the context, Managing Director, State Minor Forest Produce Federation, Sanjay Shukla said that Baghel has also directed to generate more employment at local level through the processing of rally kosa. In the same sequence, an MoU has been signed between the State Minor Forest Produce Federation and the Directorate of Sericulture. Under this MoU, the cocoons procure by Minor Forest Produce Federation will be supplied to the Silk Department. Silk Department has selected 740 beneficiaries in Bastar division and are being provided training in silk threading. He informed that Chhattisgarh has annual production of 8 to 10 crore rally cocoons. Rally cocoon collection work is mainly done in 07 district unions of the state including Jagdalpur, Dantewada, Sukma, Kondagaon, Keshkal, Narayanpur and Kanker.
