Many Taiwan farmers are finding in sericulture--the raising of silkworms,--a profitable side-line to their other production. It offers the advantages of a short feeding period and relatively low costs. In addition to providing the filaments from which silk is made, a by-product, the excrement of the silkworms, is a valuable fertilizer. The climate and environmental conditions of Taiwan are highly favorable for sericulture. Mulberry trees are evergreen and produce leaves the year around for the exclusive diet of silkworms. Taiwan's sericulture has a history of more than 300 years, but the production of silk has never become a major industry. With a view to assisting the development of the industry, the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction and the Taiwan Provincial Government established in 1970 a model zone to conduct research for technical improvement of sericulture.
In January 1973, five special silk production zones were set up with government support in the Miaoli, Nantou, Tainan, Pingtung and Taitung areas of Taiwan. The goal was to plant more mulberry trees, encourage farmers to engage in sericulture, and assist the establishment of modernized silk reeling factories as well as new systems of management. After three years, these zones show some notable results. In 1975, 4,896 families were engaged in sericulture, producing 26,400 trays of silkworms. The total production of silkworm cocoons weighed more than 476,000 kilograms, each tray averaging 18.03 kilograms. The cocoons were unwound into threads for silk textiles. Dried cocoons were exported to earn more than US$ 1,185,000. The profit was greater than ever before.
The process of making silk textiles: reeling of the silk thread.
The process of making silk textiles: spinning.
The process of making silk textiles: weaving into silk fabric Background picture The Silk fabrices.
