An Economic Analytical Study of Silkworm Breeding and Processing of Its Products in Tartous Governorate

Abstract

This research aims at estimating the costs of producing silk cocoons and the net return achieved from the production of handmade yarns and fabrics by breeders for the average of the two agricultural seasons 2018/2019 and 2019/2020. Descriptive and quantitative statistical analysis was used in the research, and profitability criteria were adopted such as net profit and economic efficiency.    The results of the analysis showed that the productivity of cocoons from  silk imported by the Ministry of Agriculture that are distributed to breeders averaged 40 kg per pack of worms, and each kilogram of silk thread needs approximately 5.7 kg of cocoons. In addition, each kilogram of silk thread produces about 5 square meters of hand-woven silk, and that the average total costs of producing silk cocoons amounted to about 146,619 SP, and the average price per kilo was 3500 SP; that is, the value of the produce of cocoons from the box amounted to about 140,000 SP. This is in line with the fact that the breeder receives support from the Ministry of Agriculture 2000SP for each kilogram of cocoons. The value of revenue was 220000 SP / carton, and the net profit achieved from a single egg tray was about 118,381.4 SP, the average cost of one kilogram of produced cocoons was 2540.47 SP / kg, the net return from the average 959.54 SP/kg, and the value of the economic efficiency 3.41. The average selling price of one kilogram of silk thread  was 50,000 SP, and the cost of one kilogram of produced yarn averaged 2,9462.9 SP/kg.   The net return from the produced threads was 20357.1 SP/kg, the value of the economic efficiency was about 1.69, and the net profit resulting from weaving the entire threads resulting from raising one box of worms was 1146.2 thousand SP, also, the cost per kilogram of the produced silk fabrics was17250 SP, the net return was 32750 SP/kg, the value of the economic efficiency was about 2.9, and the cost of one piece was 115.2 thousand SP.    However, the net return for one produced piece was 134.7 thousand SP, and the value of the economic efficiency was about 2.17. The most important problems facing the breeders of silk worms are the low price of a kilogram of silk cocoons and the expansion of planting some fruitful trees such as olives, apples, citrus and tobacco. The research recommends: raising the prices of cocoons to encourage breeding the natural silk in support of this important heritage culture on which hundreds of poor families, and granting imported eggs to breeders for free.