Tajiks Try to Revive Silk Trade

Experts say that if Tajikistan’s silk industry was revived it could become a lucrative export earner.

Silk has an ancient history in Tajikistan, and is still widely used for textiles and clothing. But the business of raising silkworms on mulberry bushes and collecting the cocoons for processing has become unprofitable over the last decade. Growers say they are tied to specific buyers, and the lack of competition allows these firms to dictate the price they will pay.
 

The audio programme, in Russian and Tajik, went out on national radio stations in Tajikistan, as part of IWPR project work funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.