Sericulture Minister inaugurates 'Cocoon Buyers and Sellers meet'
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, April 16 2021: Five days long 'Cocoon Buyers and Sellers Meet Cum Exhibition 2021' was inaugurated today by Sericulture Minister Awangbow Newmai at Project Management Complex, Sangaipat organised by Department of Sericulture.

Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Minister of CAF&PD and Law; Heikham Dingo Singh, Chairman, Manipur Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and Nahakpam Indrajit Singh, MLA, Kshetrigao AC were also present during the inaugural event today.

On the inaugural day today, the Sericulture Minister also handed over two-wheelers to selected 35 agents which will be utilized during the door to door service to the seri farmers/beneficiaries.

Products including dress materials made from different types of silk and artifacts made from cocoons were displayed at the exhibition' along with the cocoons brought from across the State.

The Minister also launched a website of the department www.serimanipur.nic.in during the function.

Addressing the gathering.

Awangbow Newmai expressed happiness that there has been an increase in the production of cocoon this year.

Appreciating the department officials and seri farmers/beneficiaries, he said the credit must be given to the hard efforts of all the people involved in the seri production despite lack of manpower in the department and COVID pandemic.

Stating that giving door to door service by the agents is a big challenge as it is time bound, he was delighted to know that maximum numbers of women agents were involved in providing the service.

He said the queries and issues of the seri farmers/beneficiaries will be addressed by the agents where the two-wheelers handed over them today will be utilized during their work.

Stating that he had firsthand knowledge of the various issues of the seri farmers/beneficiaries during his field visit at the seri farms across the State, he assured to continue maximum support from the department in the near future too.

He said the idea of the Government as well as the department is to support people to make them self reliant and in the near future the target is to increase the raw silk production and products.

Appealing the seri farmers/beneficiaries to spread awareness regarding seri farming, he said that they need Hot worry or get discouraged during the pandemic as the demand for the silk is increasing day by day in the State and the country.

He said the meet cum exhibition is giving them a platform to sell their products to get better price.

He also advised everyone to follow SOP guidelines laid down by the authorities during the COVID pandemic.

Thokchom Satyabrata Singh in his presidential address stressed on the need to strengthen the Sericulture Department by increasing the budget allocation.

He was in view that the Sericulture Department has lot of potential and scope to give livelihood and economic upliftment of people of the State especially in the rural areas.

Ms Nidhi Kesarwani, Commissioner (Sericulture) in her key note address said that the, objective of the 'Cocoon Buyers and Sellers Meet Cum Exhibition' is to reach out to the buyers and sellers in order to bring them at a common platform.

She said the idea is to give buyers and sellers an opportunity for direct interaction to remove the middle man, so that buyers can get better raw silk material and the sellers can get better price.

The inaugural day was also attended by officials and staffs of the Sericulture Department including S Kunjakishore Singh, Director; Ch Harendrakumar Singh, Deputy Director, among others.

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