Silk route now through Africa
The wild silkworm in Africa could soon be a serious competitor to Chinese and domestic silkworms (Bombyx mori). Wild silk demands high prices, but in many African communities the worms are consumed without knowing their worth as the source of precious silk cloth. As part of its sericulture (silk growing) programme in Kenya and Uganda, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) has identified at least 65 different wild silkworms and has selected two wild species, Argema mimosae and Gonometa spp. for their high quality silk fibre. Studies in Kenya on Gonometa spp. show that a single acacia tree with a canopy of 8-10 square metres can host up to 200 larvae. A two hectare orchard of 1,000 trees can yield 200,000 cocoons worth about US$ 3,300 annually. ICIPE is providing information, eggs and training to farmers to take up the cultivation of wild varieties. Thus far, 5,000 farmers have been trained, and the yield of 9 tons of silk from Uganda last year justifies their enthusiasm with this new line of micro-business. [caption to illustration] Argema mimosae has antennae shaped like mimosa leaves ICIPE PO Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya Fax: +254 2 860 110 Email: icipe@icipe.org
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| Format: | News Item biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
2001
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/46129 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99595 |
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| Summary: | The wild silkworm in Africa could soon be a serious competitor to Chinese and domestic silkworms (Bombyx mori). Wild silk demands high prices, but in many African communities the worms are consumed without knowing their worth as the source of precious silk cloth. As part of its sericulture (silk growing) programme in Kenya and Uganda, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) has identified at least 65 different wild silkworms and has selected two wild species, Argema mimosae and Gonometa spp. for their high quality silk fibre. Studies in Kenya on Gonometa spp. show that a single acacia tree with a canopy of 8-10 square metres can host up to 200 larvae. A two hectare orchard of 1,000 trees can yield 200,000 cocoons worth about US$ 3,300 annually. ICIPE is providing information, eggs and training to farmers to take up the cultivation of wild varieties. Thus far, 5,000 farmers have been trained, and the yield of 9 tons of silk from Uganda last year justifies their enthusiasm with this new line of micro-business.
[caption to illustration]
Argema mimosae has antennae shaped like mimosa leaves
ICIPE
PO Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
Fax: +254 2 860 110
Email: icipe@icipe.org |
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