Por Eliane Táboas Merino 
The sericulture group of the Indio Hatuey Pasture and Forage Experimental Station, in Matanzas, promotes the breeding of silkworms for their subsequent use in handicrafts and cosmetics.
Researcher Dayron Martín Prieto comments that the training of artisans from different provinces has marked the group’s work during 2023, with the participation of several provinces such as Havana, Mayabeque, Artemisa, Matanzas, Villa Clara and Sancti Spiritus.
The biggest challenge is to achieve the production of silkworm eggs in our country to make the project sustainable, since they are currently imported. Martín Prieto adds that when they achieve this, silk can be easily developed in those places where artisanal work with threads is in common use.
Hence the emphasis on the preparation of the artisans with the guidance of the specialists of the sericulture group of the Indio Hatuey Pasture and Forage Experimental Station, in Matanzas.The purpose of these actions is to encourage the use of silk as a material for common use and local production, especially in those communities where handicrafts and weaving are a long-standing tradition.
Translated by Casterman Medina de Leon