K'Ho woman brings silkworms to Cheng village

A K'Ho woman brought the silkworm farming profession to her village; helping many women in the village learn, follow this profession and have a stable income.

The family of Ms. Ko Sa Ka Bich, Cheng village, Dam Rong 4 commune, converted 2 sao of rice fields to grow mulberry to raise silkworms. Thanks to the 2 sao of land along the stream, the family's mulberry is enough for Ms. Ka Bich to raise 1 box of silkworms/month. She said that for the people of Cheng village, silkworms are new animals, and the villagers got acquainted with silkworms thanks to Ms. Ko Lieng Ka On - Vice President of the Farmers' Association of Dam Rong 4 commune.

Ms. Ka On - the person who brought silkworm farming to Cheng village

To help Ms. Ka Bich and other villagers learn how to grow mulberry and raise silkworms, Ms. Ka On organizes silkworm raising classes right in the village every week. For each stage of silkworm development, Ms. Ka On gives very specific instructions on how to feed, how to make nests, or how to use medicine for silkworms. “Ms. Ka On teaches the villagers very well. First, she guides households to switch from growing rice to growing high-yield mulberry. Then, she guides households to raise 1/4 of a box of silkworms, and any techniques taught in the class are applied to the family’s silkworms. Ms. Ka On also guides on silkworm diseases as well as how to treat them in the villagers’ language, so everyone can easily understand and absorb them, and raise silkworms right in the class,” Ms. Ka Bich commented.

Recalling the early days of getting acquainted with mulberry trees and silkworms, Ms. Ko Lieng Ka On - Vice President of the Farmers' Association of Dam Rong 4 Commune recalled that she had to overcome many difficulties and prejudices to stick with mulberry trees and silkworms. "Our ethnic people do not know how to raise silkworms and are afraid of silkworms. But I saw Kinh households raising silkworms successfully and earning quick income, so I decided to follow suit," Ms. Ka On recalled.

In early 2018, Ms. Ka On participated in training courses on mulberry cultivation and silkworm raising organized by the agricultural sector for farmers in Dam Rong 4. And, she boldly cleared 2 sao of rice fields along the stream to grow high-yield mulberry and raise the first box of silkworms. She said that by learning how to pick mulberry, take care of mulberry, learn how to look at 3-year-old and 4-year-old silkworms, know how to feed silkworms... while studying and experimenting right at home, she was successful with an early batch of cocoons.

So she enthusiastically bought iron frames and wooden baskets to raise silkworms. The more she worked, the more experience she gained. She raised one box of silkworms per month, divided into two groups. "The price of cocoons has been stable for the past few years, from 180,000 VND/kg or more. Therefore, raising silkworms gives a quick return, with two payments every month. My family's economy has been much more comfortable since growing mulberry to raise silkworms."

The change of the farmer association officer has brought about results when her family's silkworms have produced stable harvests. From the successful example of Ms. Ka On, many families in Dam Rong 4 have grown mulberry to raise silkworms, especially the women are eager to learn the new profession.

Ms. Ka On became a technical officer, transferring mulberry growing and silkworm raising techniques to local people through on-site training courses. Ms. Ka On guided the women using the “hands-on” method, learning while raising silkworms in practice, gaining direct experience. Many women became familiar with the silkworm profession through Ms. Ka On’s encouragement and guidance.

What makes Ms. Ko Lieng Ka On very happy is that many women in Dam Rong 4 have boldly switched from growing rice to growing mulberry and raising silkworms. Thanks to the practical effectiveness of growing mulberry and raising silkworms, the people of Dam Rong 4 have a new job, bringing a stable source of income for their families and improving their quality of life. "We are also actively encouraging people to establish silkworm farming cooperatives to do business in a concentrated manner, with stable input and output, convenient for technical guidance as well as a lot of support for people," Ms. Ka On added.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/nguoi-phu-nu-k-ho-mang-con-tam-ve-buon-cheng-386499.html