Investment opportunities in Nepal in the agriculture sector -Part VIII

Sericulture

The development of sericulture has been identified as offering very good potential for development in the mid-hills and Terai belt of Nepal by experts from Japan, Korea, China and India. Agro-climatic conditions in these areas favour the cultivation of mulberry and teh rearing of cocoons. The Government has set up a nucleus centre at Khopasi about 35 km. east of Kathmandu in 1975. The centre initially served as a demonstration centre and later expanded its activities to provide training, extension and reserach functions. In 1991/92 it will also function as a major silkworm egg breeding station. Nepal has developed six bivoltine lines and these will be used to produce hybrid silkworm eggs in the country. The preferred production technology in Nepal is the temperate bivoltine technology which is simple and easily asaptable by small farmers.

On a very preliminary assessment mulberry cultivation could be extended over an extent of 6000 hectares which could yield around 350 tonnes of raw silk and 85 tonnes of waste silk. The value of silk fabric from this level of production could exceed Rs. 1800 mn. Private investment to encourage mulberry cultivation and cocoon rearing by small farmers could be developed successfully in Nepal. Post cocoon activities involving reeling, twisting, weaving and production of items out of silk fabric could be developed as medium-scale industries.