The silkworm industry in Fuyang City, Anhui Province, is undergoing a technology-driven transformation. In early July, a specialized training program organized by the municipal agricultural technology center brought in experts from the national silkworm industry technology system and moved the classroom directly into mulberry fields in Yingshang County. This seemingly routine agricultural extension activity actually reflects a deeper transformation pressure facing China's central silkworm-producing regions: the traditional labor-intensive farming model is being replaced by new requirements for standardization, mechanization, and precision.
From Classroom to Field: The Last Mile of Technology Adoption
The training covered agricultural technology cadres, key silkworm farmers, and technicians from local leading enterprise Jingshi Silk, totaling over 40 participants. The expert lineup was impressive: Professor Zhang Yeshun, a national silkworm industry technology system scientist; Chief Expert Wang Taichu from the Anhui special agricultural industry technology system; and Associate Researcher Ye Chongjun from the provincial academy of agricultural sciences. They focused on three core topics: new technologies and equipment for silkworm production, green pest and disease control for mulberry trees, and healthy silkworm rearing.
Notably, after the theoretical sessions, the expert team went directly to the Huashiyadi silkworm production base in Yingshang County for on-site guidance. They inspected the late spring cocoon harvesting and drying processes, and provided hands-on demonstrations to address common farmer problems such as irregular pruning and inadequate water and fertilizer management. This 'training-through-technique' model essentially addresses the pain point of the 'last mile' in agricultural technology extension: many advanced techniques are known to farmers, but they lack precise adaptation to local soil, climate, and farming practices.
Improved Varieties and Methods: From Yield Increase to Quality Upgrade
The two keywords emphasized repeatedly in the training—'promotion of improved varieties' and 'mechanized operations'—point to the core path of Fuyang's silkworm industry upgrade. For a long time, a structural contradiction in northern Anhui's silkworm regions has been that while mulberry acreage has a foundation, per-unit yield and cocoon quality vary widely, making it difficult to meet the demand of downstream silk processing enterprises for high-grade raw silk.
By introducing improved variety resources from the national system and standardized cultivation techniques, mulberry leaf yield and pest resistance can be significantly enhanced, directly reducing farmers' breeding risks. Mechanized operations, such as scientific summer pruning and standardized fertilization, not only save increasingly expensive labor costs but also ensure operational uniformity—which is crucial for the consistency and reeling performance of subsequent cocoons. From an industry logic perspective, if this step is solid, Fuyang's cocoons can transition from 'commodity-grade' to 'premium raw material,' thereby gaining more pricing power.
Industry Impact: Transmission Effects on the Silk Processing End
The ultimate goal of Fuyang's technical upgrade is to 'enhance the deep processing capacity of silkworm cocoons.' This means that standardization at the upstream farming end will directly transmit to downstream reeling and weaving stages. For local leading enterprises like Jingshi Silk, a stable supply of high-quality raw materials is a prerequisite for developing high value-added products such as high-count silk fabrics and digital printed silk.
From a broader industry perspective, domestic cocoon and silk prices have fluctuated frequently in recent years, and downstream buyers increasingly demand traceability regarding raw material origin, batch, and quality. By establishing a regular expert support mechanism, Fuyang is essentially building a replicable 'technology + management' output system. Once mature, this system could not only benefit the local industry but also serve as a reference model for similar neighboring producing areas.