In mid-July 2024, a team of experts from the Jilin Province Tussah Industry Technology System conducted on-site technical guidance at three core demonstration enterprises in Dongliao County ahead of the autumn silkworm seed production season. This seemingly routine annual activity, set against a backdrop of continuous heavy rainfall and typhoons, sends a strong industry signal: extreme weather has become the biggest variable for tussah silkworm seed quality, and the speed and precision of the industry technology system's response will determine the basic stability of autumn silkworm production.
The Seed Production Window Under Climate Anomalies
Dongliao County, a key tussah silkworm breeding area in Jilin Province, typically starts autumn seed production in mid-to-late July. This year, the region experienced multiple rounds of heavy rainfall since early summer, with another wave of precipitation triggered by a typhoon in mid-July. When visiting the three demonstration enterprises—Fengguo, Zhongcheng, and Liaoheyuan Zhongde Modern Agriculture—the expert team prioritized temperature and humidity control as the most critical technical instruction.
Autumn seed production in tussah silkworms is highly sensitive to humidity. Excessive moisture can lead to mold contamination and an increased proportion of non-viable eggs, directly affecting the supply of silkworm eggs for the following spring. The expert team specifically emphasized the need to eliminate non-viable eggs, which means farmers must invest more in manual control measures, such as installing dehumidifiers and adjusting ventilation frequency in silkworm rearing rooms.
From an industry perspective, the urgency of this guidance stems from the fragility of the tussah silk supply chain. Silkworm breeding is heavily dependent on natural conditions. If seed egg quality deteriorates, the impact will cascade downstream to silk reeling and weaving, creating supply gaps. For home textile and apparel companies that rely on tussah silk as a specialty raw material, this is a risk that requires early assessment.
The Industry Technology System: A Shock Absorber from Lab to Farm
The expert team was led by Chief Expert Liu Baoyu, with members covering breeding technology, experimental station management, and local agricultural extension services. This multi-tiered, cross-institutional collaboration model is typical of the Jilin Province Tussah Industry Technology System. Its core value lies in directly channeling provincial-level research resources to the front line of farming, shortening the cycle from technology development to application.
At the Dongliao Comprehensive Experimental Station, the team reviewed the overall progress of demonstration projects. The station has completed its planned tasks and will now focus on autumn silkworm demonstration. This progress indicates that, despite adverse weather, the technology system has effectively mitigated risks in the seed production phase. For the industry, this means the stability of tussah silkworm germplasm has institutional backing.
It is worth noting that this technical support is not a temporary firefighting measure. The tussah industry technology system has been operational in Jilin Province for years, covering the entire chain from breeding, farming, pest control, to processing. The Dongliao visit was part of the system's annual work plan, but the abnormal weather has significantly elevated the importance of its technical guidance.
Ripple Effects Along the Supply Chain
The upstream of the tussah silk industry involves germplasm cultivation and farming, the midstream covers cocoon collection and silk reeling, and the downstream includes silk fabrics, home textiles, and specialty garments. As a core production area in Jilin Province, the quality of autumn seed eggs in Dongliao County directly determines the scale of spring silkworm farming the following year, thereby affecting the annual cocoon supply.
From a price expectation perspective, if widespread non-viable eggs or mold contamination occur due to weather, the spring 2025 cocoon supply could face a temporary shortage. For downstream companies purchasing tussah silk, this means they need to lock in long-term contracts early or increase inventory buffers. On the other hand, timely intervention by the technology system may partially alleviate this pressure, but market confidence in supply stability remains to be seen.
From a regional industry cluster perspective, Jilin's tussah farming complements that of Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces. A seed quality issue in Dongliao could trigger cross-provincial transportation demand, raising logistics and quarantine costs. This is another reason why the expert team repeatedly stressed safety in production during their guidance.