CSRTI scientists develop plastic rotary mountage, cocoon harvester

Mysore, Mar 16 (UNI) The Central Sericulture Research and Training Institute (CSRTI) scientists have come out with a new plastic rotary mountage and pedal operated cocoon harvester to cut down on labour and production costs of defective cocoons.

Addressing media persons here today, CSRTI Director Dr S B Dandin said the machine, indigeneously developed with the support of the Central Silk Board and the Coimbatore-based Janani Associates, would be launched here tomorrow. The harvester could be easily operated by a single person using leg for pushing the pedal and hands to insert the frames with cocoons as compared to individual type of hand operated harvester. About 35 to 40 kg of cocoons could be harvested from rotary mountages per hour.

He said the CSRTI and Silk Board have patented the new machine through the National Research Development Corporation. The Silk Board had extended 60 per cent subsidy for purchase of harvester which costs Rs 6,500. Sericulturists from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have placed orders for more than 300 machines at a cost of Rs nine lakhs. More than 3,000 units have evinced interest for purchasing cocoon harvester machine and new plastic rotary mountage for producing quality cocoons, he added.

The CSTRI had already introduced new varieties of mulberry, bivoltine cocoons like CSR and double hybrid, contributing to the vertical growth of silk production in the country.

UNI