Origins of Sericulture in Uganda
The history of sericulture in Uganda can be traced back to the early 20th century, when the British colonial administration introduced mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing in the country. Sericulture research activity started in the 1970s and 1980s, with Zirubaberi Nyiira Mijumbi working as a senior entomologist at Kawanda Research Institute. He requested assistance from the Japanese to help establish sericulture in Uganda, which led to the establishment of a mulberry nursery and the experimental rearing of silk worms using silk eggs from Japan. In 1986, business entrepreneur John Ndyabagye was nominated for a business tour to the United States, where he met with Gary, a senior officer at the UNDP, who introduced the idea of sericulture and its viability within the African continent.
Ndyabagye mobilized Gershom Mugyenyi, and the two ambitious men, decided to introduce sericulture as a viable cash crop venture that would fit the diversification of Agriculture agenda of President Y.K. Museveni's new government. They registered the Uganda Silk Producers’ Association (USPA) with the Registrar General’s Office in Uganda, which was formed to champion and promote the silk industry while protecting the interests of the silk producers and the standard qualities of sericulture in Uganda.The efforts of Ndyabagye and Mugyenyi led to a project funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation that sponsored overseas training of twenty Ugandan nationals in sericulture from 1986-93 at the International Center for Training and Research in Tropical Sericulture, Mysore, India. The training included Diploma in Tropical Sericulture, Diploma in Sericulture Management, Specialization in Tropical Science, Diploma in silk Rearing and spinning, and Certificate in Sericulture.
Ndyabagye and Mugyenyi efforts also attracted the Japanese Silver Volunteers sponsored by the rotary club of Tokyo which sparked off the startup operations of Uganda Silk Industry Limited (USIL) in September, 1990. Prior to this, development of commercial cocoon production in Uganda began in 1992 through the initiatives of two private entrepreneurs, USIL and the Inuula Silk Estate Ltd (ISEL). The companies were importing good quality hybrid bivoltine eggs from Japan, rearing the eggs in their own premises up to the third instant and then distributing the young silkworms (YSW) to farmers. The farmers received extension support and limited credit from the companies to rear the silkworms up to the cocoon stage. Fresh cocoons were then collected by the companies and dried up to the time of exporting to a Japanese buyer (Yamato International Inc.).
The Kawanda Agricultural Research Station (KARS) was involved since 1985 in mulberry trials of imported varieties and silkworm strains testing. At that time there was no skilled manpower in sericulture activities in Uganda.
In March 1993, the USAID/Export Policy Analysis and Development Unit sponsored a Uganda Silk Study, where the basic features of the Silk Sector Development Project (SSPD) were laid. The same consultant, Mr. A.C. Morton, was called in July-August 1993 to lead a 6-week mission funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the preparation of a Project Proposal. The mission also comprised of Mr Gershom Mugyenyi as Sericulture Expert (who was then the Head of National Sericulture Development Centre, Kawanda, MAAIF) and Mr Bernd Muller as USPA adviser and Co-Director of the SSDP Supervision of the project was to be exercised by the Uganda silk Producers Association
In accordance with the Fourth Lomé Convention, in 1991 Uganda qualified for a transfer of loss of earnings. The Project as identified in the Project Design Preparation Report was financed under the Stabex 1991 allocation, for an initial commitment of 2,200,000 EURO. The Financing Agreement (FA) between the European Community and the Republic of Uganda for a Silk Sector Development Project (SSDP) did not report the time frame of the Project; however, a duration of two years was specified in the Technical and Administrative Provisions for implementation.
The main objective of the Silk Sector Development Project was to support a pilot sericulture development and strengthening of a commercial sericulture sector through THE UGANDA SILK PRODUCERS’ ASSOCIATION”. From 1994 to 1999, there was a pilot Silk Sector Development project to support the initiative of silk pioneer through the Uganda Silk Producers Association as the pilot project. The project resulted in over 400 Silk Farmers trained in mulberry growing and silkworm rearing and facilitated to build silk worm rearing houses in over 12 districts of Uganda.
Uganda started a trial on cocoon processing in 1999 with assistances from International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (lCIPE), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), African Development Foundation (ADF), and government of Uganda. Raw silk production promoted another phase of the silk industry in Uganda. JICA trained several Ugandans in silk processing from reeling, re-reeling, weaving and garment design. ICIPE installed a small 10 multi-end silk reeling machine at Kawanda Agriculture Research Institute to experiment on silk processing. With ICIPE restoring hope, a precious nucleus of silk farmers in Bushenyi persevered and kept the candle of hope burning. They organised themselves into a group and formed the Bushenyi Silk Farmers Association (BSFA) in 2002. On 26th June 2002, after the success of the reeling test at Kawanda (shown by samples sent to Japan, India and China), IFAD through ICIPE donated a full set of silk processing machines to BSFA. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture donated land to BSFA at Rubare Farm (now in Sheema district) to facilitate the construction of the silk factory donated by IFAD-ICIPE. The association was fully recognized by Bushenyi Local Government as a Community Based Organization in 2003. The 60 end multi-end silk factory was commissioned on 26/4/2003 by H.E the President of Uganda, Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (Photo1 and 2). In 2003 the number of active cocoon producers was 105 and it increased to 133 in 2004 and 286 in the first half of 2005. This number increased to 2478 farmers adopting sericulture on a total of 3375 acres.
However soon after that, the BSFA founders were diverted to developing a huge fully automated silk factory in Kawanda under a company called NOBWE Silk Development Ltd. This was funded by the US government through the African development Foundation. There were also splits within the farmer groups and production further plummeted.
H.E the President of Uganda Gen. Yoweri Museveni later sent the Vice President H.E Prof Bukenya on 1st September 2006 to Bushenyi and later the Minister of Agriculture to seek ways of supporting BSFA and to strengthen the silk sector in Uganda. To revitalize silk production, farmers and Executive members of BSFA met under the supervision of Government officials held elections where Dr EliodaTumwesigye was elected to be the Chairperson of the unified BSFA and the team embarked on a difficult task of mobilising farmers.
BSFA continued to receive some support from ministries of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries and Ministry of Trade and Industry was recognized by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) Nairobi Kenya and International trade center Geneva as well as the Japan International Co-operation agency (JICA). BSFA collaborated with Ankole Western Institute of Science and Technology (now Ankole Western University) and a local NGO Integrated Community Based Initiatives (ICOBI) to offer technical support to farmers. Uganda had orders for silk yarn from Egypt, Ethiopia, India, and Hong Kong and finished silk products to Iran and Investors from India, Iran and Israel had shown interest to buy farmers’ cocoons and process them from Uganda.
The major challenge that had made the silk sector fail to take off in Uganda was lack of value addition and market for silk products. The BSFA Chairman (Dr.EliodaTumwesigye) visited Egypt, Thailand, India, Japan, China, Ethiopia and South Africa to learn more about silk and identify opportunities for market of silk products. BSFA also exported silk yarn to Ethiopia and Hong Kong.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) sponsored Sericulture Development Programme/Project in 2005. The Agency hired a Japanese expert Eika Felipe who was based at
National Sericulture Development Programme (NSDP), National Sericulture Centre (NSC), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) at National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Kawanda, Wakiso.
The report was submitted in 2007 and was supposed to be implemented by JICA. Unfortunately, the report findings and recommendations for the development of Sericulture Sector in Uganda was not implemented. A follow up by the Principal Investigator of Commercialization of Sericulture Technologies and Innovations in Uganda Clet Wandui Masiga in 2016 to JICA offices in Uganda indicated that the project was not implemented because Sericulture did not future in the national crop priorities for JICA.
In 2017/2018 financial year, the Government of Uganda funded a feasibility study. The funding was guided by the government’s commitment to develop the country’s industry through exploitation and development of natural resources, agro-processing and knowledge-based industries. This was part of funding to support technological innovation through the innovation fund to help anyone with scientific ideas that need to be developed into business ideas. The feasibility study was funded under the title: ‘Evaluating the utility of sericulture technologies, silk-based textiles and other silk derived innovations as tools for household wealth creation and employment generation in Uganda’. This project was let by Clet Wandui Masiga under Tropical Institute of Development Innovations (TRIDI). This project has developed sericulture and silk industry and by June 2024, it covered 3700 acres of land under mulberry and up to 5000m2 of rearing houses and two 40 end silk reeling and re-reeling factories in the country. Presently, there are three major private investments: Clet Wandui Masiga who is working out options to sustainably manage two silk factories and mulberry on 2000 acres of land, Sayed Mohamed Ali Mousavi who has acquired 3300 acres of land and currently planted 500 acres with mulberry and established rearing houses and Li Chao who has planted 200 acres of mulberry.
