With the assistance of government and international experts, Thai sericulture is attempting to conform to the development of technology and the effects of global warming.
Phayaram, a little town in tambon Phearam of Muang area in the northern province of Surin, is home to 122 homes and a community of 523 individuals.
The town was established in 1761 during King Ekkathat’s era of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
Agricultural intelligence, including rice cultivation, animal gardening, sericulture and silk knitting, has been passed down in this group for centuries.
” Local individuals continue to preserve their old lives, traditions and customs as well as supernatural beliefs, particularly the intellectual history of growing strawberries, and raising caterpillars and weaving fabric, which is used from birth until the end of life”, said Yothaka Bunmak, mind of the Sericultural Women’s Group’s Phayaram Community Enterprise.
Before getting married, she added, every village girl must learn these skills.
Mulberry production and silk production in Surin state were until recently dependent on Mother Nature’s kindness.
Unless mango leaves were abundant, simply limited numbers of silkworms may be raised, yielding inadequate silk harvests.
Sericulture is also in great danger as a result of international warming’s high level of sensitivity to sudden weather changes.
The silk manufacturers ‘ revenue is permanently lost as a result of such a situation.
Ms Yothaka said another natural disasters, such as deluge and drought, even threaten the state.
The province developed the Surin Province Development Strategy ( 2023-2022 ), which aims to improve agricultural production by utilizing modern technology and knowledge to raise the level of product quality and value, last year.
The Foundation for Community-Soul (FCS), a regional organization, launched a development initiative called the Climate Smart Farmer Model for Mulberry Silk Cultivation in Surin in April 2022.
The project runs for 16 months, from August 2023 to December 2024, and is funded by the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator ( Afcia ) of the United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ).
The project manager, Orawan Yafa, stated that the main goal is to promote technology to aid farmers in preventing possible damage from climate change while maintaining their long-maintained authenticity.
The coaching process incorporates local silk patterns, traditional silk reeling, and pure mulberry leaf cultivation.
Phayaram Village’s future educational facility will focus on the production of conventional mulberry silk.
The idea was inspired by Thailand’s Jim Thompson Farm in Nakhon Ratchasima and Japan’s Tomioka Silk Mill in Gunma Prefecture.
For its standard mulberry silk production and silk weaving, Tomioka City has been designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Its fabric mill is Japan’s initial current silk factory for processing larvae.
Miyake Setuko, 72, the factory agent, told a delegation of Thai silk farmers and media during their visit to Tomioka next month that the 152- year- ancient factory again had as many as 556 women workers operating 300 looms using silk weaving techniques from France.
Additionally, the factory is home to Arafune Cold Storage, a natural depository in the traditional Chinese style that facilitates the production of cocoons in large numbers.
Regardless of the outside weather, the storage chamber was created by piles of fallen rocks, which maintained the ideal air ventilation and cool temperatures.
70 years ago, new technology was used to replace the Arafune storage.
Aside from the silk mill, the group also visited the Tajima Yahei Sericulture Farm, also in Gunma Prefecture.
Yahei Tajima, who invented Japan’s modern silk cultivation methods known as” seiryo iku,” once resided on the farm.
Additionally, the farm has a Unesco World Heritage Site designation.
From the visit, Ms. Yothaka pointed out that Japanese sericulture knowledge was well-organized and meticulously preserved.
She continued,” The tour gave us the motivation to be open to change and learn to adapt.”
Ms. Yothaka claimed that Phayaram village used organically raised indigenous silkworms to create its own silk variety, which turned out shiny silk threads with a soft, durable texture.
Phayaram’s silk, she said, is among the most expensive on offer, priced at 3, 000–4, 000 baht per kilogramme.
The traditional reeling technique is Phayaram silk’s selling point. To maintain the ideal temperature, which results in consistently sized threads, clay pots must be used.
From the silkworm to the store shelf, the community’s silk production is chemical-free and conservation-oriented.
Hoh, Saku, and Amprom, the community’s cherished iconic patterns, are also produced using natural dyes to create naturally beautiful colors that are environmentally friendly.
The weaving process also emphasizes traditional weaving techniques, which are essential for the certification of the fabrics and the award of royal insignias.
We take pride in keeping our traditional trades and traditions alive with each piece of silk fabric.
” Now we must learn how to cope with global warming, to preserve our livelihoods and identities as long as possible,” Ms Yothaka said.
The Queen Sirikit Sericulture Centre Regional Office 4 in Nakhon Ratchasima, according to Jittiporn Jindakaew, director of the organization’s regional office in accordance with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives ‘ policy for many years, has supported community silk production, including skill development and mulberry cultivation, to increase the value of the products.