KASUR: The silk farmers at Changa Manga say if the government imports better eggs from abroad, provide them with cheap electricity and take measures for their capacity building, they can contribute to the sericulture sector in abetter way.

According to local silk farmers, it takes 45 to 55 days circle from buying silkworm eggs to hatching, and selling cocoons.

Over 500 families of Changa Manga are associated with sericulture-based cottage industry to add to their incomes.

The silkworm eggs are locally hatched to get cocoons twice a year -- from February to April and September to October.

Silkworms are reared on mulberry leaves for which mulberry trees were grown over hundreds of acres in Changa Manga forest.

According to the farmers, this year the local sericulture sector has started reviving after a decline over past several years.

The farmers, including Sulaman, Ashraf Ali, and Rafi say they could produce more high-quality silk and contribute to the sector in a better way if the government helps them by importing better eggs, providing cheap electricity and building their capacity.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2022