The Reporter (Addis Ababa)
Namrud Berhane
22 December 2007
Addis Ababa — In the early 80's a handful North Koreans quietly produced silk and exported it to their country.
When the Derg was about to fall, they abandoned the facility, packed their things and know-how and slipped out.
The locals were only left with the story of some Koreans who worked in the Zeway state farm.
Some say the North Koreans were allowed to work in the state farm in return for the military assistance that was being provided to the Derg - a sort of payment for the arms that Megistu's regime was receiving from the North Koreans.
During Emperor Hailesellasie's era, coffee was affected by a disease known as CBD. The affected beans got little price in the world market and alternatives had to be found.
British agricultural experts advised that farmers be involved in sericulture, and 31 towns were selected for the project.
When the Derg took power the project was put on hold and gradually forgotten until the North Koreans came. Even then the Koreans locked themselves in and did not want to share the technology.
Despite the economic benefits that the country would have had from the sector, the activities had just remained at a stage of adaptation research.
Japan's economic recovery after World War II was greatly aided by developing a silk industry second only to China. However, the Japanese silk industry is rapidly declining nowadays as industrial employment offers higher incomes.
In many countries sericulture is a sideline industry that offers a means for people to increase their incomes especially in rural areas.
China produces about 75% of the world's raw silk, which is valued at $1.6 billion. India produces about 15% and Brazil, Korea and Turkmenistan produce just under 5% each, according to reports.
In rural India small silk production has played a major role in improving the livelihood of the communities.
Now, the idea of developing and promoting sericulture in Ethiopia has once again been given attention.
The government believes developing sericulture would create an additional employment and income, and would address food insecurity.
In addition, considerations were also made of the positive role that sericulture will play in protecting the environment.
The castor plant which will be used for feeding the silk worms will be planted on an area of about 513,790 hectares of deforested and degraded land. The seed of the plant is also used for bio-fuel production.
"The benefit to the households is really multi faceted; they can earn more income from the castor plant as it is required for bio-fuel production. Edible oil can be produced from the plant and the health benefits are
With that in mind, investment is also being made in the sector by providing extension to popularize the technology.
Mulberry production potential is been carried out in two national centers, in Melkassa Agricultural Research Centre and in Alage Agricultural, Technical and Vocational Education Training College.
These centers produce mulberry cuttings for distribution to the regions and provide relevant training to those engaged in the sector.
The biggest investment however is a more 51,000,000 birr worth silk factory which is to be built in Tigray region, Mekelle.
This will be the first silk factory in the continent.
Founder and owner of the factory Mr. Joseph Mateka Chicco says that when Jose Silk Textile Factory is finished, and by the time it reaches its five year project life time, it will be able to produce 21,352,800 kilo grams of silk cocoons in Tigray region alone.
The project however is not limited to Tigray and involves 10 other regions -Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, Benshangul, Dire Dawa, Gambella, Harari, Oromia, Somali, and Southern Peoples.
The total production estimate in the five year production period, according to Jose's project documents, is 164,449,000 kilo grams of silk cocoons.
It is also estimated that about 5,000,000 households (25,000,000 people) will benefit from the five year project in all the regions.
"The households will be our outgrowth as they will be supplying our textile factory with the raw materials. At current projection we are estimating that a family can earn as much as 30 to 35 birr from a kilo of silk cocoon (Gulo silk)," said Chicco who is originally from Congo and has been working on the silk technology in Ethiopia for the past 15 years.
There are four types of silk and in Ethiopia two are being produced: one is made from Gulo (Castor-Eri Silk) and the other is made from Enjory (mulberry- Bombix Morris)
Chicco adds that his textile factory can not operate without the appropriate skills being available.
"We have therefore in collaboration with the government prepared a project of developing and promoting sericulture technology and for this we will require a total of 400,000,000 birr, mind you this does not include the construction of the factory," Chicco said.
Incorporation ATVET curriculum on silk technology is part of the project.
What makes the project interesting is the fact that communities are given shares in the factory.
"We are not here to make huge profits but to address the problems in the country by engaging communities at grass roots level. Civic societies have been given shares in the factory; the Mekelle city administration has shares also. This way, poverty is alleviated as the technology is properly channeled to the household level."
The company has already made a marketing agreement with some of the local garment factories. One of those is the Augusta Garment.
Internationally also, requests have been made by garment factories in the US, Japan, Germany and Italy.
"This will be a sector that will employ and generate income for some 30 percent of the country's population. And will definitely contribute to the booming of the economy of the country, above all it will help the country meet the MDGs," Chicco said.
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