Liaoyuan Silkworm Cocoons

Liaoyuan Silkworm Cocoons

　　Liaoyuan Village is located in the northern part of Luoba Town, Shixing County, Guangdong Province. Mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing have long been traditional agricultural activities in the village. In recent years, Liaoyuan Village has adapted to local conditions by developing sericulture into its leading industry. The village now has 1,680 mu of mulberry fields, accounting for 80% of its total arable land. Over 70% of the population is involved in mulberry farming and silkworm rearing, and income from these activities accounts for 90.9% of the village’s total agricultural revenue. The per capita net income from silkworm farming reaches 6,380 yuan, which is 27.2% higher than that of similar villages.

　　First, Liaoyuan Village organized mulberry farmers with considerable planting scale into a sericulture professional cooperative, with 70% of the village’s silkworm rearers joining the cooperative. The cooperative has established a high-quality mulberry sapling base and provides facilities such as silkworm breeding rooms, silkworm egg distribution rooms, and silkworm cocoon transit stations. These efforts have enabled 68% of the mulberry fields to adopt standardized production practices. Currently, over 90% of the cocoons produced are top-grade, the yield per silkworm egg sheet has increased from 27.98 kg to 35.2 kg, cocoon yield per mu has risen from 3 dan to 3.6 dan, and output value per mu has grown from 3,500 yuan to 4,200 yuan. The raw silk produced from Liaoyuan’s cocoons averages at grade 4A or above, with some reaching the highest grade of 6A. As a result, the village’s silkworm cocoons are in high demand.

　　Secondly, Liaoyuan Village collaborates with Shixing Jinxing Cocoon & Silk Company, a provincial-level agricultural leading enterprise, to develop an industrialized management model of “enterprise + base + organization + farmer.” The company signs production and sales contracts with farmers, guarantees purchase prices, and provides incentives and support for production factors to larger-scale farmers. It also offers preferential pricing to protect farmers’ interests and provides financial and technical assistance, effectively helping them withstand market risks.

　　At the same time, Liaoyuan Village adopts strategies such as “inviting in and sending out” to engage universities and research institutions in introducing new varieties and technologies. These partners provide demonstration sites for farmers to learn about high-quality breeds and advanced techniques. The village actively promotes an ecological agriculture model of “silkworm – biogas – mulberry,” integrating pollution-free production protocols and green farming techniques throughout the production process. It has now become the main production base of the “Guangdong Province Sericulture Science and Technology Innovation Special Town.”

　　Liaoyuan Village, Luoba Town, Shixing County, Guangdong Province