Silkworm dung: a "windfall"

Since July, something new has happened in Lezhi County, Sichuan Province, a major cocoon-producing county: silkworm farmers who have just sold their cocoons have lined up to sell abandoned silkworm sand. Silkworm sand, which used to be worthless, is now suddenly popular. It is reported that a special "garden in the garden" has been formed in the agricultural and sideline products processing park in the county: taking silkworm sand as the main line, gathering a series of production enterprises, such as chlorophyll extraction, feed, fertilizer, biopharmaceutical, and so on, the output value is expected to reach 1 billion yuan by 2010.

Bombyx mori can sell for money.

"I didn't expect that silkworm sand could be sold for money." On July 25, in front of the silkworm purchase site in Tongjia Town, Lezhi County, Sichuan Province, the fame of silkworm farmers was particularly happy. "I have raised three silkworms in spring, and silkworm sand alone has increased my income by more than 130 yuan."

"for silkworms that have been raised for decades, in the past, the silkworms could only sell cocoons, and the silkworms were completely discarded." The old man next to him took over, "now a kilogram of dried silkworm sand can be sold for 0.8 yuan, and everyone thinks that sericulture is more popular."

It is understood that Lezhi County is the main sericulture base county in Sichuan Province, and the scale of sericulture ranks first in the province all the year round. In 2005, the silkworm industry in Lezhi County ranked second in the province in terms of seed production and cocoon production, with a total annual silkworm sand volume of nearly 10,000 tons. This item alone can bring more than 7.5 million yuan of "windfall" to farmers, and the average income of silkworm farmers will increase by more than 160 yuan.

Extraction of chlorophyll

It is a leading silkworm sand processing enterprise that organizes a large number of acquisitions of silkworm sand. On July 18, the author saw a long queue of vehicles coming to sell silkworm sand in front of the warehouse of the enterprise.

"Silkworm sand is the feces of silkworms, named because it is granular and shaped like sand." The technical person in charge of the enterprise said, "extracting chlorophyll from silkworm sand is not only in line with the requirements of green environmental protection, but also economically feasible."

It is understood that the main food of silkworms is mulberry leaves, which contains a high content of chlorophyll, which is generally more than 15%. Because the digestion time of silkworms is short and a large amount of chlorophyll is not absorbed, it is retained in silkworm sand, so the extraction of chlorophyll from silkworm sand has become one of the first choices for commercial production. At present, extracting 1 ton of chlorophyll with a market price of 1 million yuan requires 100 tons of silkworm sand, and the production cost is about 100000 yuan. If carotene with higher added value is extracted, the ratio of cost to income is at least 1 ∶ 20.

"this is the first fully automated chlorophyll production line in the country, which can process 20,000 tons of silkworm sand every year, but only five production workers are needed." Pointing to the well-functioning production workshop, Zhou Dingzhi, the boss of this enterprise, is quite proud: "our scientific and technological innovation project of 'continuous countercurrent extraction of chlorophyll' has obtained five core patented technologies; the application of high technology has suddenly turned silkworm sand from waste into a favored green treasure."

Extend the industrial chain

"the development of silkworm sand has effectively extended the industrial chain and enhanced the overall development scale and comprehensive efficiency of sericulture." Zhao Yongtao, secretary of the Lezhi county party committee, said. Sericulture industry is a traditional advantage industry of Lezhi, which has allowed 70,000 sericulture farmers and more than 10 leading enterprises to participate in it. The deep processing of silkworm sand has added an important link to the expansion of sericulture industry. at present, the county has basically formed a complete industrial chain in which upstream farmers sell cocoons, silkworm sand and mulberry branches to increase their income, while middle enterprises use cocoon reeling and silk weaving. Downstream enterprises process silkworm sand to extract chlorophyll, use mulberry branches to press, and use mulberry to make wine.