How To Make Traditional Silkworm Industry "Break Cocoon Into Butterfly"

Walking into a clean and tidy breeding workshop, we could not see a piece of mulberry leaves at constant temperature and humidity, and the machine arm lifted up and placed the white silkworm gear of different ages on the conveyor belt... On November 24, the reporter followed the Hunan themed interview activity of "high-quality development research trip" in 2024 to Liuyang Economic Development Zone in Changsha, to see how factory silkworm breeding can make the traditional silkworm industry "break the cocoon into a butterfly".

China Cocoon Xinke Smart Breeding Big Data Center. Photographed by reporter Deng Xia

The Yashilin Changsha (International) Silkworm and Silk Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park invested and constructed by China Cocoon Xinke Silkworm Biological Industry Co., Ltd. was settled in Liuyang Economic Development Zone in 2021. Its innovative factory based artificial feed silkworm rearing technology has realized the daily silkworm rearing and cocoon production 365 days a year, and the efficiency of silkworm rearing per unit area has increased 1000 times.

"The traditional silkworm is an oligophagous animal. It only eats mulberry leaves, so the production efficiency of the traditional sericulture industry is low and the output is unstable. The practical and widely edible silkworm varieties we have cultivated can eat artificial feed, and the output is high and the quality of cocoon silk is good." Liu Lijieshao, deputy general manager of Zhongcocoon New Technology, said that the feed formula of factory sericulture consists of corn powder, mulberry leaf powder The feed formula and processing technology of different age silkworm babies are different, which fully meet their growth needs.

The feed formula is composed of corn meal, mulberry leaf meal, soybean meal and additives containing multiple vitamins. Photographed by reporter Deng Xia

The problem of "eating" and "living" of silkworm babies has been solved. It is understood that the silkworm is a temperature changing animal, which is afraid of both cold and heat. It is suitable for growing in an environment of 22 ℃ to 28 ℃. Based on this, Zhongcocoon New Scientific Research has developed an injection molding workshop, an intelligent silkworm rearing production line, and an environmental control system to let silkworm babies "live" in a clean and sterile silkworm rearing workshop with constant temperature and humidity, which has solved the problem of traditional silkworm rearing limited by season and climate.

"Traditional silkworm rearing uses bamboo dustpans. The density of rearing is about 600 silkworms per square meter. We feed mulberry leaves 2 to 4 times a day and produce 3 to 4 batches of cocoons a year. Our silkworm has a capacity of 3000 silkworms per square meter. The period of cocooning is 31 days, and only 6 feeds are needed per cycle according to the five growing stages of the silkworm, and 12 batches of cocoons can be produced per year." Liu Li said that at present, The daily cocoon output of the company is 10 to 15 tons, and after the first phase is fully put into operation, the daily cocoon output will be more than 100 tons.

The reporter saw in the smart breeding big data center that all production links such as injection molding workshop, feed workshop, cleaning workshop, breeding workshop and cocoon picking workshop have achieved visual and intelligent control. "We have established a set of temperature, humidity, air flow, clean environment control and disease prevention and control system suitable for the growth and development of the silkworm, developed automatic equipment such as feeding production line, silkworm gear cleaning and disinfection production line, cocoon picking production line, and realized precision batching, standardized production, intelligent control and traceable quality management." Cui Weizheng, chief scientist of China Cocoon New Technology, said.

Cocoon picking workshop of Zhongcocoon Xinke. Photographed by reporter Deng Xia

To boost rural revitalization and industrial development, Cocoon Xinke has developed nearly 80000 mu of mulberry garden bases in Xiangxi, Liuyang, Xinjiang and other places in Hunan, and purchased the remaining mulberry leaves from farmers in Sichuan, Yunnan and other places. "The low risk mulberry planting will be handed over to farmers, while the high risk silkworm rearing will be handed over to intelligent equipment." Fan Maolin, chairman of China Cocoon Xinke, said that the separation of silkworm breeding and rearing will not only provide raw materials for factory silkworm rearing, but also drive local farmers to increase their income from mulberry planting.

Silk scarves, silk sutures, shirts, mulberry tea, mulberry fruits... There are a variety of mulberry food and silk products on display. "'Cocoon production' is the key to driving the middle and downstream industries. The front end is sericulture, and the back end is the industrial chain extended from it." Liu Li said that the company is expanding the application field of silk products, and has developed mulberry leaf tea, mulberry leaf food, medical consumables and other products simultaneously, so that the biological and technological value of cocoons continues to increase.

It is reported that in the future, China Cocoon Xinke will also focus on promoting the construction of the whole silk industry chain in Changsha, such as cocoon, raw silk, fabric, clothing, etc., guide and drive a number of high-quality enterprises in the downstream of the industry chain to settle down in Hunan for common development, realize the integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, and promote Hunan's cocoon and silk industry to move towards the goal of a hundred billion level industrial cluster.

(Source: China News Network)