Prosperity from mulberry trees and silkworms

In Que Phuong village (Tan Ha commune, Lam Ha district), the silkworm farming cooperative run by female members of the women's association is becoming a shining example in rural economic development and improving stable income.

The women members of the Que Phuong village women's association have become prosperous thanks to mulberry trees and silkworms.

Like other households in the area, the women's association members in Que Phuong village previously relied primarily on coffee cultivation for their income, interspersed with a few fruit tree farming models. However, in recent years, the lush green mulberry fields and silkworm cocoons have opened up opportunities for poverty reduction and improved living standards for the cooperative members.

The silkworm farming cooperative in Que Phuong village was established in June 2021 with 10 members who are members of the Women's Association in the village. With the attention and support of the local government, the cooperative accessed credit from the Lam Ha Social Policy Bank with an allocated fund of 600 million VND (an average of 60 million VND per member).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tham, head of the silkworm farming cooperative in Que Phuong village, said: “After joining, the women will exchange and share experiences in developing mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming, and access capital sources. They will also participate in training courses to improve their knowledge of mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming, and visit and learn from effective models. In addition, they will maintain, develop, and expand the scale of mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming for members of the cooperative, and replicate it throughout the area.”

As one of the members who has been involved in mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing for a long time, Ms. Pham Thi Hanh said that the profession of mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing has existed for a long time, but it was not as widespread and developed as it is now. However, it is easy to see that since engaging in mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing, the family lives of the members have become much more prosperous.

Ms. Hanh said that raising silkworms isn't difficult, but it requires constantly learning online and participating in training courses organized by the local authorities to improve breeding techniques, reduce costs, and achieve the best cocoon quality and yield. The most arduous part of silkworm farming is the three days when the silkworms feed, but in return, it yields high economic value. Furthermore, the family utilizes the silkworm droppings to fertilize mulberry trees, saving them money on fertilizer each year.

“Currently, our family has expanded our mulberry cultivation area to over 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares). Besides that, the silkworm cocoons are purchased at a high and stable price, so farmers don't need to worry about sales. On average, we harvest a batch of silkworms every two and a half months, raising 3-4 boxes of silkworms. With cocoon prices on the market fluctuating around 190,000 - 220,000 VND/kg, after deducting investment costs, I earn a profit of over 15 million VND per box of silkworms per month,” Ms. Hanh said.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Tan Ha commune, Lam Ha district, stated that the silkworm farming cooperative model in Que Phuong village, with the active participation of women members, has brought many practical benefits to the development of local agricultural economy . Over time, the cooperative has helped members exchange experiences, apply scientific and technological advancements to production, and improve the productivity and quality of silkworm cocoons. Many households have achieved stable incomes, becoming more prosperous and contributing to reducing the poverty rate in the commune.

“Besides its economic value, the model also demonstrates the spirit of solidarity and mutual support among members, creating jobs for local women workers, helping women to be confident and affirm their role in the economic development of their families and communities. The Women's Union of Tan Ha commune highly appreciates the efforts and creativity of the cooperative members and will continue to accompany and support the expansion of production scale with the criteria of sustainability, efficiency, and environmental friendliness. The aforementioned cooperative further affirms the dynamic and creative role of women in building new rural areas and sustainable economic development,” affirmed the Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Tan Ha commune, Lam Ha district.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/kham-kha-tu-cay-dau-con-tam-403214.html