Korean firms partner with NAFRI in silkworm cultivation project

Silkworm with Mulberry Co., Ltd. and Farm & Farm Co., Ltd. from the Republic of Korea will partner with the National Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Research Institute (NAFRI) in a silkworm cultivation business in Laos.

Representatives of Korean companies and NAFRI sign a project agreement.

The aim of the initiative is to generate income for the people of both countries through the establishment of a sericulture value chain.
An agreement on the pilot cooperation project was signed on Tuesday by the President of Farm & Farm Co. Ltd., Dr Yoon Young Hyun, and the President of Silkworm with Mulberry Co., Ltd., Mr Lee Seung Huan, and Director of NAFRI, Dr Chay Bounphanousay.​
Under the agreement, the Korean companies and NAFRI will develop a silkworm cultivation business that applies new technology to Korean silkworm cultivation.
This will be done by setting up a smart technology education centre and providing a training course for Lao farmers that includes advanced silkworm cultivation techniques.
The project will also provide instruction on farm management and sales techniques, spread the project results nationwide, and contribute to the sustainable socio-economic development of Laos.
The Korean companies and NAFRI will supervise the project cycle, finance, content and methodologies to improve income generation for local communities and strengthen the capacity of project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
The project will be carried out in two stages from 2023 to 2025, with a Korean silkworm cultivation centre to be built to cultivate Korean silkworms and set up pilot production in Laos.
In addition, Korean silkworm cultivation techniques will be delivered to farmers, with invitational training to be conducted at Korean silkworm-cultivating farms.
From 2026 to 2027, the Lao silkworm cultivation area will be expanded to enable commercial export. In addition, related technologies will be disseminated to individuals or groups who wish to farm silkworms in all parts of Laos other than the Silkworm Cultivation Centre.

A representative of a Korean company presents a gift to the Director of NAFRI.

Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony, the Director of NAFRI, Dr Chay Bounphanousay, said the project would play an important role in plans for the Institute’s research and development, which would focus on plant improvement and biodiversity in sustainable ways.
Dr Chay said he hoped cooperation with the Korean companies would enable Lao farmers to broaden their knowledge and increase their incomes.
The President of Farm & Farm Co., Ltd., Dr Yoon Young Hyun, said the project would give Lao farmers a new form of development and enable them to earn more money from the cultivation of silkworms.

By Advertorial Desk
 (Latest Update September 8, 2022)