Why is it difficult for traditional superior industries to move forward?

Zhejiang is known as the "house of silk", but now the silkworm, a traditional agricultural industry, is in crisis and going from bad to worse. A recent survey by the Department of Agriculture of Zhejiang Province shows that since 2008, the amount of silkworm eggs and cocoons in Zhejiang have declined for six consecutive years, but this year's spring silkworm production is still shrinking, and the situation of industrial development is very grim.

According to statistics, in 2013, the total area of mulberry gardens in Zhejiang Province was 908000 mu, with an annual feeding volume of 1.179 million pieces and producing 55000 tons of cocoons, a decrease of 6.5%, 9.2% and 9.7% respectively over the previous year. At present, there are 14 silkworm egg production enterprises in Zhejiang, producing 767000 first-generation hybrid silkworm eggs last year, a decrease of nearly 30 percent over the same period last year. The total profit of these enterprises is only 1.3 million yuan, only half of the surplus.

What is more worrying is that after six consecutive years of shrinkage, spring silkworm production in Zhejiang Province is still shrinking this year, with spring silkworm rearing and cocoon production reduced by more than 10% respectively, coupled with a sharp drop in the purchase price of spring silkworm cocoons. this year, farmers' enthusiasm for mulberry sericulture has been further dampened. It is estimated that the number of silkworm seeds this summer and autumn will be 420000, a decline of 16%.

According to a survey conducted by the Department of Agriculture of Zhejiang Province, there are four main reasons for the continuous decline of sericulture industry:

First, the comprehensive productivity is low and the market competitiveness is weak. Compared with tea and fruit, sericulture with an output value of only 3077 yuan per mu has high labor intensity, but the land output rate and comparative benefit are extremely low, resulting in the sericulture industry is always in a weak position in the increasingly fierce industrial competition. For this reason, many sericulture bases located in the developed areas of Hangjiahu Plain are constantly occupied in the process of industrialization and urbanization. Nowadays, sericulture has increasingly become a part-time family sideline in farmers' household income.

Second, the degree of scale is low and the mode of production is traditional. The survey shows that, compared with other agricultural industries, the degree of intensification of sericulture industry is low, and it is mainly small-scale operation of peasant households. At present, sericulture shows the phenomenon of "aging and low culture". Only 2.6 silkworm eggs are raised in every household in the province, and it is difficult to find new main bodies such as professional large households, family farms, farmers' cooperatives and agricultural leading enterprises, and it is difficult to reflect the benefits of scale. capital investment is minimal.

Third, the ability of scientific and technological innovation is weak, and the support of modern science and technology is insufficient. Affected by the reform of the scientific research system and restricted by the characteristics of the sericulture industry, the investigation found that there was a serious shortage of investment in basic research on sericulture, the loss of researchers, and a great lack of practical new achievements for popularization and application. at present, the leading varieties in Zhejiang have been used for more than 30 years, the mulberry varieties suitable for mulberry cultivation and mulberry cultivation techniques for the whole year are almost blank, and the mechanization of sericulture industry It lags far behind other industries such as rice and vegetables.

Fourth, the chain of cocoon and silk industry is long, and there are many restrictive factors. Sericulture involves planting, aquaculture, cocoon and silk industry, and the industrial chain is long. The change of each link will affect the cocoon price and directly affect the income of farmers. At the same time, the cocoon purchase mechanism is not standardized, the degree of marketization is low, the artificial price reduction is disorderly competition, the interests of agriculture, industry and trade are divided for a long time, and the high quality and high price of cocoons can not be reflected.

Based on the above situation, the agricultural department suggests that while increasing the financial support for the sericulture industry and strengthening the construction of the seed industry system, we should also strengthen the investment in scientific and technological innovation; in addition, aiming at the key cocoon production bases in Hangjiahu area, it is necessary to establish an ecological compensation mechanism for sericulture, enjoy plain greening policies, and formulate long-term industrial development plans to promote the economic development of sericulture in the region. In order to get rid of the non-standard and disorderly competition, it is necessary to standardize the cocoon collection and drying mechanism and establish an open, competitive and orderly market system to achieve high quality and high price.