Azerbaijan imports a million mulberry seedlings from China

Azerbaijan imported a million mulberry seedlings from China as part of the government programme to boost cocoon and silk production from 2018 to 2025. The programme envisages support for a cluster approach to sericulture, creation of new productive hybrids, expansion of research in primary seeding and establishment of seed-growing plants.

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According to this programme, the agriculture ministry will buy high-yielding seedlings from China to raise food supply and cultivate new mulberry gardens, according to a report in a Azeri news website.

China has so far delivered 3.5 million such seedlings to Azerbaijan. The seedlings were sent to 38 regions across the country. They will be planted according to Chinese technology and under the supervision of Chinese experts.

In 2019, 641 tonnes of silkworms were produced in Azerbaijan. During the year, $1.8 million worth subsidies were offered to producers.

In 2018, silk growers delivered 513.9 tonnes of wet cocoons and this figure was 2.1 times more than that of 2017.

Zardab, Fuzuli, Zagatala, Balakan, Agjabadi, Barda, Sheki, Kurdamir, Gakh and Agdam are the leading regions for cocoon harvesting. The target is to raise annual production to 6,000 tonnes of cocoons by 2025.