Zhen'an Sericulture

Zhen'an Sericulture

　　Zhen'an Town in Yun’an County, designated as a municipal-level sericulture production town by Yunfu City, boasts lush greenery along both banks of the Zhen'an River. Rolling hills and slopes are covered with vast mulberry fields, resembling stretches of “green corridors.”

　　　　Sericulture is a pillar industry of Zhen'an Town’s agricultural economy. In 2007, it was listed as a provincial “One Township, One Product” development project. Currently, the town has 25,000 mu of mulberry cultivation, involving 5,300 farming households and 20,800 workers. Last year, the average annual income from sericulture alone exceeded 30,000 yuan per household.

　　　　The sericulture industry in Zhen'an has a long history. As early as the 1950s, some farmers began planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms along the riverbanks near Xi’an Primary School, covering an area of 200 mu. From the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee to the early 1980s, the town’s mulberry cultivation expanded to 1,800 mu, distributed across villages such as Hedong, Hexi, Xi’an, Minle, and Minqiang. By the 1990s, more and more farmers shifted from traditional crops like rice and peanuts to mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing, seeing it as a fast track to prosperity. Seizing the trend, the town actively mobilized the community to convert extensive riverside shoals and hillside lands along the Zhen'an River into mulberry fields. Low-yield fields, rain-fed paddies, and marginal farmlands were also adjusted for sericulture. Cultivation gradually expanded from the “two riverbanks” to neighboring villages, radiating outward from Minle and Minqiang villages to other communities. With an annual growth rate of 14%, the town’s mulberry cultivation continues to expand.   

　　　　To ensure the robust “growth” of the sericulture industry, the town places great emphasis on enhancing industrial organization. The government strengthens guidance and macro-management of the sector by establishing 21 sericulture contact points across the town, building seedling nurseries to supply farmers with affordable, high-quality saplings, and organizing distribution networks. The town has also attracted Tiancheng Cocoon & Silk Co., Ltd. and Junsheng Cocoon & Silk Trading Co., Ltd. to settle locally, addressing farmers’ concerns about silk cocoon sales. Comprehensive services are provided throughout the production cycle—before, during, and after—to form a well-rounded social service system. Farmers are guided to produce according to orders, reducing losses caused by market fluctuations. Technology demonstration bases have been established to promote production and establish an “company + base + farmer” agricultural industrialization model that connects markets with farmers. This approach encourages smallholders to pursue specialization and industrialization, while rapidly applying cultivation and breeding techniques. Quality control is implemented across the entire process—from mulberry planting to silkworm rearing. Efforts focus on shifting feeding methods toward scientific practices: moving from household-reared young silkworms to centralized or cooperative rearing, separating human and silkworm living spaces, and introducing policies that transfer land to skilled sericulturists. A full range of production, supply, and sales services is offered to accelerate industrialization, gradually aligning the town’s sericulture production with market demands.