Strengthening, Supplementing, and Extending: Yizhou's Path to a Resilient Sericulture Industry

Since 2005, Yizhou District in Guangxi has developed its sericulture industry, topping China's silkworm cocoon production for 20 consecutive years. Facing challenges such as small-scale household breeding and limited by-product development, the district since 2019 has strengthened, supplemented, and extended the full "mulberry-silkworm-cocoon-silk" value chain. With World Bank support, cooperatives and enterprises now provide technical training, stable markets, and diversified income channels, benefiting thousands of households—including many formerly impoverished farmers. Innovative recycling of mulberry branches and fully automated silk processing lines have increased incomes and secured steady growth, making sericulture a leading industry for poverty alleviation while boosting the region's economic competitiveness.