Silkworm farming earns millions of dong.

(Baonghean.vn) - Silkworms raised on cassava leaves are helping many households in the mountainous district of Anh Son earn millions of dong each month.

Raising cassava worms is a profession being pursued by many people in the mountainous district of Anh Son. Photo: Huyen Trang

We arrived at Mr. Nguyen Duy Mai's house in Hamlet 10, Tho Son Commune at midday, the time when silkworms are feeding, so Mr. Mai had to mobilize all family members to rush out and harvest them.

Quickly catching the ripe, golden silkworms, Mr. Mai excitedly said: "For more than 3 years, my family has been raising silkworms on cassava leaves. Prices sometimes go up and sometimes down, but we've never had any unsold silkworms. We sell them as soon as we raise them. At the beginning of the season, the price is high, 80,000 - 100,000 VND/kg, and in the middle of the season it drops to 50,000 - 60,000 VND/kg, but compared to other crops, raising silkworms is still much more profitable."

Mr. Mai said: "Unlike silkworms raised on mulberry leaves, which are small in size, cassava silkworms are the size of an adult's index finger, with sharp, spiky protrusions running along their bodies. Furthermore, this type of insect is easy to raise, grows quickly, and doesn't require much care... Just planting a few acres of cassava allows you to raise 8-10 batches of silkworms each year, with each batch yielding at least a few million dong..."

The silkworms are in their feeding season. Photo: Huyen Trang

Not far away, Mr. Bui Van Quy, in Hamlet 10, Tho Son Commune, was also busy in his garden picking cassava leaves to feed his silkworms. Mr. Quy said: "Silkworms that feed on cassava leaves grow very quickly because they eat a lot; on average, they need to be fed 5-6 times a day. Silkworms like to eat fresh cassava leaves, but when it rains, breeders must be very careful to shake off the water from the leaves, otherwise they will get sick and die. Raising silkworms is both easy and difficult. Silkworms are most sensitive to ants and are very sensitive to the environment."

Mr. Nguyen Duy Mai, from Hamlet 10, Tho Son Commune, Anh Son District, harvests silkworms that have turned golden yellow. Photo: Huyen Trang.

"If there are strange smells in the house, like fabric softener, bleach, or dyes, the silkworms will die from the fumes. That's why silkworm breeders here call them a super-clean food," Mr. Quy said. According to him, silkworms are insects that develop and grow incredibly fast. They can be harvested in just 18-20 days. Everyone, young and old, can raise silkworms. On average, Mr. Quy raises 3-4 trays of silkworm larvae per batch. Each well-cared-for tray yields 17-20 kg, and with an average price of 60,000 VND/kg, Mr. Quy earns 2.5-3 million VND per batch within 20 days.

The reason many people in Anh Son raise silkworms is because the area has a cassava raw material source of over 1,000 hectares. The localities with the most people involved in silkworm farming are mainly the communes of Hoa Son, Hoi Son, Tuong Son, Binh Son, Tho Son, etc. After harvesting, the commercial silkworms are purchased directly from the farmers.

Huyen Trang