Ethiopia: Silk Production Thriving in Snnps
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2006-01-16 16:27:00
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Silk production has been flourishing in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples State (SNNPS) during the past two years, the State Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau said.
Crop development and protection team leader with the bureau, Simayehu Tafesse, told WIC that with the effort made to boost the production of silk over the last two years more than 11,000 farmers in 30 woredas were organized and engaged in silk production. The farmers have so far managed to produce and supply over 5,000 quintals of silk to local and foreign markets, he said. According to the team leader, the Elito Crop Producers Cooperative Union has finalized preparations to increase productivity so as to meet the increasing demand of local and foreign markets. Thus 20 kinds of species of strawberry that could help produce high quality silk were being multiplied at the Alagie Agricultural Technique College.
Simayehu said over 40,000 pieces of strawberries were also collected to be used as foods for silk worms.