How silk farming is transforming lives of farmers, textile sector

Rwanda has made several over the years to help boost people’s earnings and living standards to spur national development. One such intervention was the introduction of sericulture, an agro-based industry that involves the rearing of silkworms to produce the raw silk, a natural protein fibre that serves as raw material for the textile industries. Introduced over 10 years ago, sericulture is one of the non-traditional sectors aimed at diversifying the agriculture industry, besides creating more jobs for the youth and women. Sericulture, also known as silk farming, is an agro-based industry that involves rearing of silkworms to produce raw silk. According to sector experts, the nascent industry presents the investors immense opportunities that could help spur growth and the country’s exports, and strengthen the local textile industry. Eric Mbonigaba, the National Sericulture Centre (NSC) chief, says the sector has already transformed lives of Rwandans who are engaging in mulberry and silk farming. “Silk farmers are earning good money from selling silk cocoons, which has made it easy for them to support their households. They are also proud to be some of the few producers of raw materials from which the world’s most expensive garments and related materials are made,” Mbonigaba says. The NSC chief explains that the centre supports farmers interested in joining the sector with all basic materials for silkworm rearing, including silkworm incubated eggs, silkworm rearing beds, thermometers, metallic sheets for the silk rearing building, mounting framesalong with extension services, technical support and market linkages. To start, he says a farmer needs at least half an hectare of land, where they can plant mulberry trees for the project. Farmers can also get extension services from NSC, which is based at Kigali-Mulindi in Gasabo District, or through the four Provincial centres in Nyanza, Gakenke, Karongi and Gatsibo districts. Currently, Rwandan silkworm farmers produce cocoon silk. Mbonigaba says production starts after the mulberry trees are at least six months old, adding that silk cocoons are attained within 26 days. Christine Niyonizeye, the NSC technician in charge of silk egg production and multiplication, says from silk farming to the final product - silk garments, there is a series of activities involved, including silk egg handling and incubation, and silk reeling. These activities are divided into four main parts: mulberry culture, also known as moriculture; silkworm rearing to produce cocoons, then silk reeling to produce silk yarn, and finally, production of silk-end product (weaving, dying, and garment design). Niyonizeye explains that Rwandan farmers are given silkworm eggs that are ready to hatch. After hatching, the silkworms feed mulberry leaves, which makes it possible for the silkworms to spin cocoons. This process takes one month, at the maximum, she adds. Mulberry,silkworm eggs and the final products - garments. Rwanda introduced silk farming about 10 years ago. (Jean Nepo Ndikumana) Unexploited opportunities in sericulture industry Mbonigaba says sericulture has huge opportunities for the farmers and other stakeholders along the value chain. He says Rwanda’s climatic conditions and soils are suitable for silk worms and mulberry farming, adding that one hectare of mulberry trees can yield 750kg of cocoons worth Rwf1.5 million annually. “Farmers can intercrop mulberry with other crops, especially vegetables,” says the expert. Farmers speak out Marie Jean Mukankanika, the co-ordinator of Bwishyura Silkworm Co-operative in Bwishyura sector, Karongi District, says a farmer who owns three hectares of mulberry field earns about Rwf160,000 per month on average. Mukankanika says silk farming has helped to improve her livelihood, adding that it is now easy to pay for health insurance and her children’s school fees. Jean Laurent Ntukanyagwe, a sericulture adopter in Gatsibo District, says he has been able to buy a dairy cow from sericulture. Challenges Since the sector is still young, we don’t have sufficient seeds. That’s why farmers are presently selling mulberry cuttings as planting materials to people joining the sector. Farmers cite decentralised extension services and related infrastructure as the main challenges. Mbonigaba says the sector lacks enough staff, adding that the shortage of land also impedes the sector’s growth. Sericulture was introduced to diversify the agriculture, as well as fight poverty among the rural masses. It started with 40 co-operatives, and employs over 3,000 farmers countrywide. Rwanda targets to create 200,000 off-farm jobs under the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II). Many of these jobs are expected to be created along the agriculture value chain in agro-processing, including the sericulture industry. The industry could play a big role in the growth of the struggling local textiles sector if it is supported. business@newtimes.co.rw

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How silk farming is transforming lives of farmers, textile sector