Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Lam Dong (VNS/VNA) - Increasingthe sericulture area is optimal for restructuring agriculture in Lam Dong provincesince it provides farmers with a steady income, local officials said.
The Central Highlands province hasaround 14,000 sericulture farming households who have total 6,800ha ofmulberry, or nearly 70 percent of the country’s total, according to theprovince’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Lam Dong produces around 9,000 tonnes ofsilkworm cocoons a year to produce nearly 1,200 tonnes of silk.
K’ Tieu, a Co Ho ethnic minority in Lam Ha district’sDinh Van town, has turned his 4,000sq.m rice field and 2,000sq.m coffeeplantation into mulberry farms to breed silk worms.
He earns more than 12 million VND (517 USD) amonth from selling cocoons, he said.
“Growing mulberry and breeding silk worms donot need much investment or tending like coffee and rice, and they can beharvested in a short time.”
Dinh Van town has favourable naturalconditions for sericulture, and so local authorities have provided training tofarmers and financial support to grow mulberry and breed silkworms.
A 1,000sq.m mulberry farm can provide enoughleaves for breeding silkworms hatched from one box of eggs containing 15-25grams of the eggs, enough to produce 50kg of cocoon.
It takes around 24 days from hatching toproducing cocoons.
K’Bin, deputy chairman of the town's FarmersAssociation, said previously most Co Ho people used to grow rice and coffee,but Dnh Van’s soil is not suitable for coffee and only one rice crop could begrown a year.
“With the State’s support in terms of farmingtechniques and seedlings, many Co Ho people have abandoned coffee and rice, andswitched to growing mulberry and breeding silkworms.”
Nearly 1,000 Co Ho households have made theswitch.
In Di Linh district, one of the province’slargest mulberry growing areas, many ethnic minority households have steady incomesfrom breeding silkworms.
K’ Xuyen, an agricultural official in thedistrict’s Gia Nghia commune, said the commune has sought economic developmentfor ethnic minority areas in recent years by focusing on sericulture.
“Sericulture [provides an] income year round.The income enables families to plant long-term crops and breed animals.”
The commune has hundreds of ethnic minorityhouseholds growing mulberry and breeding silkworms on an area of 200ha, he said.
Silk processors now buy cocoons at 130,000-150,000VND (5.6-6.5 USD) per kilogramme and farmers earn 30,000-50,000 VND perkilogramme, according to agricultural officials.
Under the five-year plan forsericulture it unveiled in June, the province aims to have 9,500-10,000haunder mulberry, including 8,100-8,500ha of new and hybrid trees with highyields, by 2023./.
The Central Highlands province hasaround 14,000 sericulture farming households who have total 6,800ha ofmulberry, or nearly 70 percent of the country’s total, according to theprovince’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Lam Dong produces around 9,000 tonnes ofsilkworm cocoons a year to produce nearly 1,200 tonnes of silk.
K’ Tieu, a Co Ho ethnic minority in Lam Ha district’sDinh Van town, has turned his 4,000sq.m rice field and 2,000sq.m coffeeplantation into mulberry farms to breed silk worms.
He earns more than 12 million VND (517 USD) amonth from selling cocoons, he said.
“Growing mulberry and breeding silk worms donot need much investment or tending like coffee and rice, and they can beharvested in a short time.”
Dinh Van town has favourable naturalconditions for sericulture, and so local authorities have provided training tofarmers and financial support to grow mulberry and breed silkworms.
A 1,000sq.m mulberry farm can provide enoughleaves for breeding silkworms hatched from one box of eggs containing 15-25grams of the eggs, enough to produce 50kg of cocoon.
It takes around 24 days from hatching toproducing cocoons.
K’Bin, deputy chairman of the town's FarmersAssociation, said previously most Co Ho people used to grow rice and coffee,but Dnh Van’s soil is not suitable for coffee and only one rice crop could begrown a year.
“With the State’s support in terms of farmingtechniques and seedlings, many Co Ho people have abandoned coffee and rice, andswitched to growing mulberry and breeding silkworms.”
Nearly 1,000 Co Ho households have made theswitch.
In Di Linh district, one of the province’slargest mulberry growing areas, many ethnic minority households have steady incomesfrom breeding silkworms.
K’ Xuyen, an agricultural official in thedistrict’s Gia Nghia commune, said the commune has sought economic developmentfor ethnic minority areas in recent years by focusing on sericulture.
“Sericulture [provides an] income year round.The income enables families to plant long-term crops and breed animals.”
The commune has hundreds of ethnic minorityhouseholds growing mulberry and breeding silkworms on an area of 200ha, he said.
Silk processors now buy cocoons at 130,000-150,000VND (5.6-6.5 USD) per kilogramme and farmers earn 30,000-50,000 VND perkilogramme, according to agricultural officials.
Under the five-year plan forsericulture it unveiled in June, the province aims to have 9,500-10,000haunder mulberry, including 8,100-8,500ha of new and hybrid trees with highyields, by 2023./.
VNA
