Growing mulberry and raising silkworms for high income

(Baonghean) -From the beginning of the year until the end of April, in Nghia Dong commune (Tan Ky), there was almost no rain, lack of water, sugarcane leaves began to curl. However, the commune's 35 hectares of mulberry trees were still lush and green on the banks of the Con River. The profession of growing mulberry and raising silkworms has helped the people of Nghia Dong have a comfortable life.

Almost all roads from the center of Nghia Dong commune to the mulberry fields are paved with concrete and are spacious. Along the road, houses with flat roofs, tile roofs, and high-rise buildings are close together. Mulberry cultivation and silkworm raising are one of the strengths of Nghia Dong commune. The ancients had a saying "raising pigs eat rice lying down, raising silkworms eat rice standing up" to describe the hardship and fatigue of the mulberry profession. However, nowadays, Nghia Dong people believe that the mulberry profession is no longer as hard as before when silkworm breeders had to search for mulberry leaves everywhere to provide food for silkworms; now people grow mulberry intensively to provide food for silkworms, so silkworm raising is quite easy. Even during the time when silkworms are free to eat, which is the stage when silkworms eat the most, feeding 4-5 times a day, the breeders still feel like they are just doing it... in the moment.

Mulberry field of Mr. Ho Sy Hoan's family in hamlet 3, Nghia Dong commune (Tan Ky).

Mr. Ho Sy Hoan - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Nghia Dong commune grows 3 sao of mulberry, raises 3 rounds of silkworms/batch, 1 round yields 14 - 16 kg of cocoons. On average, each year, 10 - 12 batches of silkworms are raised, yielding nearly 500 kg of cocoons, sold on the market at the current price of 95,000 VND/kg of cocoons, bringing in a revenue of more than 40 million VND/year. Mr. Hoan said: Investing in growing mulberry and raising silkworms is very cheap but brings high profits. Mulberry trees are only planted once for a harvest of 14 - 15 years, each year farmers cut down the mulberry roots twice, after each cutting, they grow green again, without much care. In years with a lot of rain, the mulberry leaves are almost as big as mosquito net leaves, silkworms cannot eat them all. The vitality of mulberry trees is extremely strong, in poor land areas, ineffective production, mulberry trees grow well when planted.

The tools for raising silkworms are also very simple, including large trays made of bamboo and bamboo frames with many small sticks for the silkworms to spin cocoons. These tools are handmade, cheap, and can be purchased once and used for decades. With a 23-day silkworm breeding cycle, people often raise pillows, importing cocoons every 14 days. The advantage of raising silkworms is that they do not pollute the environment, collect all the products, bring in high income, and have money immediately, with 3-4 million VND in cash each month.

Talking about the local mulberry growing and silkworm raising profession, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Giao - Head of Hamlet 3, Nghia Dong Commune is very proud: "Hamlet 3 has more than 70 households growing mulberry and raising silkworms, each year harvesting 20 - 22 tons of cocoons, the money from selling cocoons alone brings in more than 2 billion VND/year, while the entire Hamlet 3 only grows 10.5 hectares of mulberry, with an average income of 180 - 200 million VND/ha. What is special is that the mulberry growing land is barren, the commune used to plant cassava but the cassava could not survive. In 2005, 18 households of Hamlet 3 volunteered to reclaim 2.4 hectares of bad land along the Con River to grow mulberry. Since then, in 2006, the Party Committee and People's Council of the commune have a policy of converting ineffective agricultural land to mulberry growing and has been increasingly expanding and becoming more effective. Currently, growing mulberry and raising silkworms in Nghia Dong Commune (Tan Ky) is not only a hunger-reducing crop but also a source of income for farmers. poor but also really rich. The whole hamlet 3 has 187 households, of which the well-off and rich households account for 2/3; there are only 8 poor households which are single old men and women.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Giao's household also got rich from growing mulberry and raising silkworms, with 4 sao of mulberry, raising 3.5 rounds of silkworms/batch, raising 10-12 batches each year to harvest more than 500 kg of cocoons/year, with an income value of 45-50 million VND/year. Mr. Giao is also an intermediary specializing in supplying seeds and collecting cocoon products for people, then importing them to businesses. As a person with knowledge and experience in growing mulberry and raising silkworms for many years, Mr. Giao specializes in advising people in the commune on how to grow mulberry and raise silkworms scientifically and effectively. Households that follow him all have good results. He said that raising silkworms requires a clean environment, cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and careful protection from the wind. Silkworm breeders must regularly monitor the weather, a temperature of 28-30 degrees Celsius is suitable for silkworms...

Mulberry cultivation and silkworm raising have developed strongly in Nghia Dong since 2001. Currently, the whole commune has 7/15 hamlets growing mulberry and raising silkworms, with a total area of ​​35 hectares of mulberry, yielding a harvest of 150 - 180 million VND/ha. In current agricultural production, mulberry is the tree that brings the highest economic value in Nghia Dong. From the high economic value that mulberry brings, Nghia Dong Commune People's Committee has planned to expand the mulberry cultivation area to 50 hectares by the end of 2013, and strive to expand the area to 120 - 150 hectares by the end of 2015.

Mr. Tran Dinh Huong - Vice Chairman of Nghia Dong Commune People's Committee commented: While many agricultural products are falling in price, the output for silkworm cocoon products is still stable, with good prices; attracting all ages from students to the elderly to work hard; creating jobs on the spot for local workers, people in the commune do not have to go far to work, social security, security and order are ensured. This profession has really contributed to hunger eradication and poverty reduction in the locality, currently the poverty rate in Nghia Dong commune is only 4.7%...

Article and photos: Quynh Lan