Golden cocoons, silver cocoons, cocoons of prosperity and abundance.

Located along the Red River and enriched by fertile alluvial soil, Hong Phong commune in Vu Thu district is ideal for mulberry cultivation, providing clean raw materials to ensure the healthy growth of silkworms. Currently, the commune has approximately 257 hectares of mulberry trees with nearly 1,200 households engaged in silkworm farming. The people consider this a traditional occupation passed down from their ancestors, and they are always conscious of preserving and developing it through generations.

According to Mr. Le Manh Truong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hong Phong commune, mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing were introduced to the locality in the early 1960s. After many ups and downs, from 2010 to the present, the industry has seen significant improvements thanks to the application of new technologies, investment in science and technology, and the creation of a closed-loop, specialized system to increase productivity and enhance the value of raw materials. People are increasingly committed to this industry because of its superior economic efficiency, ten times higher than rice cultivation, providing a stable livelihood for local households.

The beauty of silkworm farming lies in its suitability for people of all ages, thanks to the breakdown of production processes. This allows even those past retirement age to earn an income. Entering the village, you can easily spot a schoolchild cutting and scattering mulberry leaves for silkworms to eat, or an elderly person leisurely separating cocoons in their yard. While not overly strenuous, caring for silkworms from egg incubation to growth, cocoon building, and sun-drying to achieve the desired sheen requires considerable manpower and constant work from early morning until late at night.

Silkworms are quite sensitive to weather and humidity, so nowadays they are raised in cold chambers with dehumidifiers to ensure a stable environment. Each family takes on a different stage of production: one family incubates the eggs and raises the silkworms to provide breeding stock, another raises the adult silkworms for yellow cocoons, and yet another raises silkworms for white cocoons. Thanks to the cold chamber technique, the white cocoon silkworms, which were previously only raised in winter and spring, can now be raised year-round, yielding better productivity and higher economic efficiency compared to yellow cocoons. However, due to market demand, people here still choose to raise both types of silkworms.

With the increasing demand for natural ingredients and products derived from mulberry trees and silkworms, the silkworm farming industry has always had a stable market. Each household typically has about 8-10 silkworm trays, with a yield of 3 batches per month, generating hundreds of millions of VND in income annually.

The golden and white cocoons, meticulously cared for and nurtured day and night by those who "eat standing up," have now become precious assets, bringing "gold and silver," and prosperity to every family in Hong Phong.

Heritage Magazine