WOMEN EKE A LIVING FROM SILK WORM FARMING

Farmers feeding silkworms

A shift of business is imminent in Kakamega County as a group of women embrace silk worm farming, a novel economic venture in the area.

 Ms Emily Bruno, the Chairperson of Iguhu Silk Worm rearing group from Ikolomani constituency says members resolved to give the activity a try after undergoing training organized by International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in which worms’ economic value was evident.

 “The fact that 1Kg of thread extracted from silk worms cocoons sell at Sh625 as compared to a similar amount of beans and maize that cost Sh200 and 80 respectively, motivates the group and nothing could stop us from taking up the challenge,” said Ms Burono.

 Unlike other economic activities which require huge chunks of land, silk worm rearing requires less than half an acre land to take off.

 Besides the worms has a life span of only 30 days before forming cocoons from which thread is found.  Each one of the 100 members would require just a quarter acre of land to rear up to 40, 000 worms.

 Ms Bunoro explains that the same piece of land can hold up to 1, 000 stems of mullibery tree plant enough to feed the worms in order to realize impressive yields of between 7-10Kgs of threads every month.

 Initially women ran into crisis after it emerged that rearing caterpillars was abhorred and looked upon as witch-craft in the community.

 “Both experts and the women were at pains to explain and convince men reason they settled on silk worm rearing project in the face of many others,” explained Ms Bunoro.

 When the group placed their first order for silk worm from ICIPE in Nairobi, they were forced to rear them in a Kitchen but suffered a loss after the worms died compelling ICIPE to intervene and assist the farmers put up a recommended structure for breeding.

 ICIPE sold them 20, 000 worms at Sh500 and charged the group another Sh250 for transporting the caterpillars from Nairobi.  “We sometimes order for the worms eggs but many a times we go for a day old caterpillars,” Ms Bunoro said.

 Some members’ especially men who initially embraced the project got tired along the way leaving only 35 to carry on.  “We made another order and adhered to all requirements including feeding culture, hygiene and security,” explains Ms Bunoro.

In order to assist the group to go on well with the project Agricultural Production Agri-business Programme (KAPAP) trained the women on handling special machine bought for them by the World Bank to extract fibre from silkworms.

 Cocoons usually form after 30 days and then dried in the sun for 10 days to ensure worms inside do not break them and transform to butterflies “because that will mean no threads can be extracted,” explains Ms Bunoro.

 With readily available market, the project has become a source of livelihood for not only the members but also several locals including those supplying the group with the mulberry plant that is the main feed for the worms.

 Ms Bunoro says threads are sold to ICIPE or fabric processing plants that usually add value to the fibre through refining and making pieces of cloth out of it.

 Grade one Cocoons produce high quality and quantity fibre for the group.  “We sample the Cocoons according to quality and boil them for at least 15 minutes to make the fibre loose and make threads extraction process easier.”  A single Cocoon can yield at least 1kilometre long fibres.

The machines supplied to the group include Spindle winding, Silk reeling and re-reeling machines that help the group add value to the fibre in a small way.

 Nonetheless, the venture calls for high standards of hygiene to ensure the worms grow health and give more yields.  “Between two to three days, we feed the caterpillars on sliced tender leaves of the mulberry crop before introducing them to mature leaves after four weeks,” said group members.

 They feed in the morning during lunch time and in the evenings every day.  The leaves must be harvested early to get rid of moist in them before being fed to the worms.  “While plucking the leaves, one has to be careful not to let them get contaminated as that can cause diseases in the worms and eventual death.

 But while a sleep, farmers are advised not to place feeds in the worms’ special feeding trays because it is the same time they develop and transform from one stage without necessarily feeding on anything.  “Change in skin colour is a clear indicator of growing worms,” says Ms Bunoro.

 A farmer must be on standby monitoring the feeding behaviours and the worms and identifying those showing signs of sickness to separate them from the health ones.  “The takers on which worms are kept must be raised to protect them from Rodents and Safari ants attacks.”

 The worms are put in Spinning mats in which they form the Cocoons in their fourth-week.  400 worms occupy one spin mat.  A part from fibre, the caterpillars’ droppings is used as manure by the farmers who collect and share it amongst themselves.

On the other hand the Mulberry plant has medicinal value according to Mr Julius Mukaisi, a local.  “It treats minor cuts, stomach-ache and related complications,” he explained adding that the leaves could as well be cooked and served as green vegetables.

 Ms Burono said the project could become a major revenue earner in the area if more funds are invested in it.  “We want the project to expand and incorporate as many people as possible for us to realize its full potential,” she said.