Cambodia’s Ancient Silk Industry Hangs by a Fine Thread

…Welcome to Cambodia’s lone Silkworm Egg Production Center, and to the techniques that are being used to prevent and monitor diseases that are currently killing off more than 50 percent of all silkworm production in the country. Established by the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the production center is part of a $475,000 silk industry rehabilitation project that was launched in September 2009, and which saw the building of seven silk farms across the country and funded silk production training for those interested in the industry. … Production of silk yarn in Cambodia has slowly declined in recent years, from 5 tons in 2009 to about 4 tons a year today, he said, adding that Cambodia imports the remainder of its 400-ton demand at a price tag of $25,000 per ton, nearly $10 million each year spent on imported foreign silk. … Along with Cambodian consumers increasingly relying on cheaper imported silk, production costs are higher than ever for authentic Cambodian silk, which costs about $70 per kg of yarn, compared to just $30 per kg in 2010. With demand for local silk outstripping supply, prices have increased accordingly—presenting both a boon and a bust for the domestic industry. …

http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/cambodias-ancient-silk-industry-hangs-by-a-fine-thread-4662/