Youth In Xuzhou, Jiangsu, Return To Their Hometown And Become "Silkworm Nannies". Scientific Sericulture Drives Local Income Increase

Now is the busy season for sericulture farmers. In the breeding base of Jiamei Family Farm in Danji Town, Tongshan District, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, a large green mulberry field is in sight. Geng Sen, the owner of the farm, is picking mulberry leaves, feeding young silkworms and picking cocoons with the workers. And this family farm of nearly 200 mu is a "geomantic treasure land" where young Geng Sen, who is returning home to start his own business, works hard and drives villagers to become rich.

Geng Sen, who had been working outside for a long time, decided to return to his hometown to start his own business in 2019 after learning that Tongshan District implemented the good policy of "Three Villages Project". He transferred the contracted land to set up the Jiamei Family Farm in Tongshan District and became a "silkworm nanny". His farm has laid and fed more than 30 pieces of silkworm eggs in total. One piece of silkworm eggs can produce about 80 jin of cocoons. The current price of one jin of cocoons is about 30 yuan. Only after the whole season of silkworm production, the profit can reach 150000 yuan.

With the help of the district and town agricultural departments, Geng Sen successively went to Zhenjiang Sericulture Research Institute and Suda Sericulture Research Institute to introduce "Qiangsang No. 1", "Nongsang No. 14" and "Yu117" mulberry varieties for seed carrying. In order to better guarantee the entrepreneurship of returned youth, Danji Town actively guided Geng Sen to apply for district level agricultural industry development support projects, which solved the urgent need for entrepreneurial funds.

With the gradual expansion of the scale, the farm has introduced automated feeding machines, integrated cocoon shed and other mechanized equipment, and the Jiamei sericulture base has gradually developed into one of the representatives of large, highly automated and modern family sericulture farms in Xuzhou and even northern Jiangsu. The farm has further expanded its product range, adding functional categories including fresh fruit and mulberry food processing, fresh cocoon processing, mulberry garden by-products, etc. Next, it plans to increase its innovation ability, launch diversified products such as dried mulberry fruit, mulberry tea, traditional Chinese medicine mulberry leaves, mulberry white skin, mulberry slices, etc., and further let this small silkworm project play its greater value.

While developing itself, the farm also increased employment opportunities for local farmers. It has provided more than 30 jobs in total, effectively moving the surplus rural labor force, and making it possible for people who can't travel far to find jobs at home.

As a traditional agricultural town in Tongshan District, Danji Town, based on reality, adheres to the industrial development to boost rural revitalization, vigorously develops the silkworm industry, adopts the mode of "cooperative leadership and mass participation", and relies on scientific and technological support to provide one-stop services before, during and after production, realizing good silkworm cultivation, silkworm rearing and cocoon sales, Let the sericulture industry truly become an important industry for rural revitalization, and guide more mulberry farmers to embark on the road of increasing income and becoming rich.

(Source: CCTV)