Thursday, January 8, 2009

Silkworm Production

Some of the rural cooperatives grow silkworms. Here they are harvesting the silkworms to be sold to a silk thread factory. There they process the silkworms into thread. The Chinese farmers are trying to maximize their income with any means possible by their hard work.

It's pretty barbaric. The silkworm grub spins the silken thread out of its mouth & around itself in order to form the cocoon in which it will transform itself into a moth. The silk farmers wait for the grubs to do this then throw the cocoon, silkworm & all into hot water which allows the silken thread to be unravelled from the cocoon & spun on a machine & boils alive the silkworm grubs. The boiled grubs are then sold on as food to local people who eat them fried.













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