Turkmenistan is launching a season of silkworm cocoon growing. However, rural inhabitants refuse to engage in this work as they consider it to be loss-making.
Rural inhabitants complained to correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” that this hard labour does not pay.Last year the local authorities of Mary velayat promised to pay 7 manats per kilo of cocoons to the residents of etraps (districts).
However, in Yoleten etrap, for instance, during the acceptance of cocoons residents were informed that only premium grade cocoons earned 7 manats.
It should be mentioned that the grade is defined at the reception offices where residents bring in their produce.
Almost all cocoons harvested were eventually purchased at 1 manat per kilo.
Some cocoon producers were offered an alternative payment scheme.Instead of cash they were promised to be provided with cattle fodder.The local authorities obliged to provide daihans with 100 kilos of bran for 10 kilos of cocoons.
Due to a shortage of fodder many accepted the barter trade scheme.However, in the end land tenants from the Yenis association received half as much only 50 kilos each.
Where the rural inhabitants refuse to grow agricultural produce as part of the government contract, this burden is shifted to public sector employees, primarily teachers. During this season 5 to 10 grams of silkworm grain (eggs) were distributed to each rural school in Mary velayat, who were obliged to grow cocoons.
Since silkworm production is labour intensive and teaching staff are not relieved from fulfilling their primary responsibilities, they hire unemployed fellow villagers and pay them 20 manats (a year ago people charged 10 manats for their services) out of their own pockets to take care of 1 gram of silkworm grain.
It is extremely costly to grow silkworm cocoons.Grains are quite sensitive to their environment and silkworms feed exclusively on leaves of mulberry trees.The mulberry trees, which used to grow in the majority of collective farms, have been cut down.
Some trees, which grow along canals, are located far from homes of residents and transportation has to be arranged to pick up the leaves.
One to two rooms in the house need to be allocated to grow silkworms and cocoons. After the harvest the accommodation requires thorough cleaning or renovation.
Payment is transferred to bank cards, which are not accepted in rural shops. Residents have to go to nearby cities to withdraw cash from their accounts.
Let us recall that in February President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov ordered the planting of mulberry trees to subsequently produce silkworm cocoons during the upcoming nation-wide clean-up campaign scheduled to be held on 21 March.