Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh has called on the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad to begin importing quality silkworm eggs. The move will help “protect and stabilize the related industries as well as revitalize the brand name and quality of Iranian silk”, IRNA quoted the minister as saying in a letter to Agricultural Jihad Minister Mahmoud Hojjati on Saturday. More than a decade ago, Iran was a major exporter of quality silkworms to Central Asian countries. However, the diminishing quality of domestically cultivated silkworms, which affected the quality of Iranian silk, resulted in a fall in domestic demand for the product. Carpet and textile industries have been turning to imported silk in recent years to meet their needs. Some 500 tons of silk were imported in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2015).
