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SERICULTURE


Sericulture or silk farming is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx moriis the most widely used and intensively studies. According to Chinese records, the discovery of silk production from mori occurred about 2700 BC making the start of history of silk. Today, China and Japan are the two main producers, together manufacturing more than .50 per cent of the world production each year. India has a unique distinction of producing all the five known varieties of silk viz. mulberry, Oaktsar, tropical tsar, eri and muga.