Romania

Brief summary about sericulture in Romania : The sericulture is a traditional activity in Romania , being one of the most ancient branches of agriculture, with better or worse periods of development in the course of time. Its importance at one time in the economy of the country is also attested by the fact that Romania is one of the founding members of the International Sericultural Commission (1959). Sericultural research activity and also the production of biologic material is organized only in the frame of the Commercial Society SERICAROM S.A.. Although Romania has material and human resources which allow the obtaining of more than 500 t silk fresh cocoons annually, in the last years the production has continually decreased, as regards both silk production and mulberry areas. A lot of reasons made the cocoon production to decrease: the economic instability characteristic of the transition period to market economy, the low acquisition prices of cocoons, the import of cocoons at lower prices than those existing in the country. The genetic potential of mulberry varieties available is an average leaf yield from 12 to 16 tons/ha and 24-26 % protein content. Three kinds of training were practiced, namely low cut (30-50 cm), medium (60-80 cm) and high cut (over 100 cm). The spaces of trees in inter-rows is 2.5-3 meters and inter-trees distance is from 0.5 to 3 meters. The density of plants per ha is 1100-8000. The genetic potential of mulberry varieties cultivated in the country allow to obtain 300-400 kg cocoons/ha. However in the production conditions hasn't been undertaken the yield over 150-200 kg/ ha. For mulberry propagation are used: cuttings, grafts and layers. The most useful method is soft wood cutting. It is also used the propagation by seed. In Romania the only reared species is mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori L). In the genetic stock there are 5 eri silkworm races (Phylosamia ricini), but their rearing is limited by the impossibility of cocoons processing. There is one unit specialized in eggs production, having a production capacity of 500 kg eggs/year. The reproduction units are equipped with specific tools and have well prepared staff. The actual sale price of one box of 20000 eggs is 6 €. The price paid for private farmers is 3.2 € per kg of first quality fresh cocoons and 1.5 € per kg of second quality fresh cocoons. In 2004, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry provided as subsidy of 0.4 € per kg of first quality of fresh cocoons, in the conditions of obtaining 20 kg fresh cocoons/box. During the period 2000 – 2004, there have been carried out 14 RD projects in sericulture financed by the National Research Programs. Romania has great possibilities for the development of sericulture, but the country must adopt some measures for re-establishment this field of activity. There is a necess ity of the development of private sector by attraction of the private farmers in sericultural activity, assurance of governmental credits, partial subsidized by the state, improvement of mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing technologies, adapted to the new forms of private sericulture, development of new technologies for the utilization of sericultural by-products and their turning to account in the market economy system, realization of complex programmes of collaboration in the sericultural field with traditional sericultural countries interested in such actions.

Local sericulture institutions:

Dr. Maria Ichim, General manager, Institute for Bioengineering, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection – S.C.BIOING SA, 10 Prof. Ion Bogdan str., sect. 1, cod. 010539, Bucharest, Romania; Tel. 004 021 2113765; Fax.: 004 021 2113765; Mobile: 0040740152000; e-mail: ichim52@gmail.com; bioing1@yahoo.com