Romania

Date of Joining:

Thursday, February 12, 1959

National Delegate:

Professor (Dr.) Daniel Severus DEZMIREAN

Nodal Ministry:

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Region:

Europe

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History

INTRODUCTION

The activity in the domain of sericulture from Romania is found in the agricultural, as well as the education field, and aims to produce biological material necessary for sericulture, keeping the gene pool of the species of the genus Bombyx, Philosamia and Morus sp., the controlled seed production, rearing of silkworms and the primary processing of sericulture products.

1. HISTORY OF THE ROMANIAN SERICULTURE PRODUCTION

The Romanian sericultural tradition is internationally known (Romania is a founder member of the International Sericultural Commission presented in FAO statistics in the field etc). Silk is known for centuries in Romania and was frequently used in the manufacture of apparel items. Sericulture has taken root relatively quickly in Romania mainly due to the favourable climate for the growth of the mulberry, and also because of the ease with which silkworms can be maintained. Pop (1964) cites data indicating that in 1860, Romania exported 6064 kg of pebrine free seed! A century later, Craiciu reported a mulberry leaf production of around 10 000 tonnes on the

Romanian territory, representing 0.35% of world production. The development of sericulture imposed also the emergence of geographical areas with high sericultural potential, subsequently recognized as leading providers for the sericultural industry. Later on, based on a development plan and on the organization throughout the country, Romanian silk production became significant, being intended both for domestic consumption and for export, and placed Romania among the top producers in the world silk production, immediately after the large silk-producing Asian countries and on the second place in Europe. The existence of a very well organized sericultural production system at country level offered the possibility of obtaining a significant quantity of cocoons, silk processing at all levels, from primary processing to spinning and obtaining of textiles, a very rigorous control of the sericultural biological material, but also the centralized distribution of pebrine free seed towards breeding centres. Immediately after 1990 in Romania, sericulture was reorganized by the Government Decision no. 199/1991 at the level of 20 state-owned companies reunited within the business organization "The Silk Road" and also an association of farmers in sericulture. The central unit of reference for Romania is S.C. SERICAROM S.A that currently owns the genetic heritage of silkworms (the species Bombyx mori and Philosamia ricini) and mulberry (Morus sp.). Romania benefited from a unit for processing silk, the filature from Lugoj, reference unit for Europe not only for Romania, which had a high production capacity which, however, along with the decline in global sericulture was compelled to close its doors. Currently, there are some craft filatures, serving small communities.

2. CURRENT STATE OF SERICULTURE IN ROMANIA

The production of cocoons and raw silk is currently low in Romania, with existence of only a few breeders in the southern part of the country, while SERICAROM S.A., produces seed necessary to meet the requests from private breeders and for maintaining the genetic fund. At the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine from Cluj scientific research is undertaken through research projects and doctoral thesis. The National Institute of Textile and Leather from Bucharest is engaged in an activity in the domain of textiles, developing research programs with various entities from the country and abroad on topics of high scientific level, with remarkable experience in the processing and ennobling of natural silk threads.

Infrastructure

FACILITIES RELATED TO AVAILABLE INFRASTRUCTURE

Like any other field of agriculture, sericulture also depends on the interaction of a number of actors involved at all levels in the market economy. In Romania, there exists an internationally recognized unit, SERICAROM S.A., specialized in producing biological sericultural material of the genus Bombyx mori, Philosamia ricini and Morus sp., with a remarkable experience on the sericultural market, but currently under restructuring.

At central level, the policies of sector development, imposed by the ministry, are related to the Common Agricultural Policies and that of international forums regarding the development of sericulture. For the next period of 2014-2020, it is expected that sericulture activity is eligible for financial support measures from the National Rural Development Programme, with the possibility of developing agribusinesses at the level of family farms, associations etc. The inclusion within the forms of financial support of the nurseries/plantations of mulberry trees is also taken into consideration.

For the year 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed the European Commission a form of financial support for silkworm breeders who meet the following eligibility criteria:

purchase a box of 10 grams containing 20.000 hatchable silkworm eggs
obtain a minimum of 15 kg of raw silkworm cocoons intended for industrialization
raw silkworm cocoons obtained will be capitalized (fiscal supporting documents needed)
the unit selling silkworm eggs should be sanitary veterinary authorized

The extent of the activities of rearing silkworms within family farms in Romania is not an item that can be quantified and that is relevant to statistics. There are breeders in many areas of the country that procure their biological material from different sources, and capitalize it by their own means, for handicrafts or direct capitalization of cocoons or raw silk.

At the level of institutions involved in the sericultural field, Romania has through the educational system, colleges and faculties of animal husbandry profile and agricultural biotechnologies, specialized in textiles and processing secondary elements of sericulture, which prepare specialists in this field. Through the four major universities with an agricultural profile and those from the textiles and biochemistry fields, technology transfer is performed and also a high tech approach of the research in the domain of sericulture.

An important actor at this level is the Reference Centre for Advanced Research in Sericulture and Silk Production Promotion (CRCAS - PPM). This centre is organized as a research entity within The University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (USAMV) Cluj-Napoca and has specialized personnel (teachers and researchers, PhD students and postdoctoral students) employed for an indefinite period, has an organigram of its own, also a Biobase for research, laboratories equipped with latest generation research equipment and an auto laboratory for interventions in the field and other facilities. The equipment and logistics correspond at present to an international reference centre that meets the requirements of ISC and works in its interest. It was proposed to function under the aegis of ISC and for the interests of ISC. The activity of CRCAS - PPM is coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Romania and corresponds to the promotion policies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portfolio. The main objectives of CRCAS-PPM are the development of the advanced research component of the sericultural and biotechnology domains; offer diagnostic services for silkworm diseases from Romania and the ISC member countries in the region, promoting silk production in view of reinvigorating sericulture (production and egg distribution, consulting, intermediation of business relationships with a sericulture profile etc.) in the country and the region.

BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL AND SERICULTURAL LOGISTICS

The current situation of the species of mulberry silkworms and those of ricinus plant

The genetic patrimony is represented by 65 races of silkworm of the species Bombyx mori and 4 species of Philosamia ricini, being preserved at S.C. SERICAROM S.A. from Bucharest. The quality of the genetic material is high, and the completion of the programs of improvement of the silkworms were successful in increasing the production of silk per box by 25%, silk weight by 15%, content in silky cover by 10.5%, and the fibre length by 20%, there is the guarantee to obtain high productions if the rearing technologies are adopted.

The current state of the mulberry tree varieties genetic heritage.

The mulberry tree genetic heritage is also under the management of SERICAROM S.A. and contains domestic and foreign varieties introduced in exploitation since the early national organization of sericulture. According to the data provided, there are in the patrimony 59 mulberry tree varieties out of which 10 are domestic and 49 foreign. This genetic material was formed in the pedoclimatic conditions of our country, contains varieties with high resistance to frost and drought, presents robust growth, with high productions of leaf of the highest quality, adaptable to intensive type plantations.

In order to preserve the genetic heritage, since 2008, the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine from Cluj-Napoca has taken over silkworm eggs of different breeds and hybrids from SERICAROM SA.

Statistics

3. STATISTICAL INFORMATION

In 2010, the state of the mulberry plantations was as follows:

Number of holdings	107
Mulberry plantation (ha)	321

Source: General Agricultural Census, 2010

Given the tradition and the ease of transactions with sericultural products, and although in recent years there have not been high productions of cocoons, Romania has not been absent from the silk market and carried out import and export activities as presented in the data below.

Import and export of raw silk (quantity and value)

Year	Import quantity (Tonnes)	Import value (1000 US$)	Export quantity (Tonnes)	Export value (1000 US$)
2007	1253	40519	140	5209
2008	1621	54494	240	8506
2009	551	18228	81	3031
2010	774	32519	115	3907
2011	1989	59208	131	7722
2012	948	39998	94	4361
2013	412	18499	27	1224

* Source: National Institute of Statistics, National Customs Authority, FAOSTAT, 2014

Resources

The genetic patrimony is represented by 65 races of silkworm of the species Bombyx mori and 4 species of Philosamia ricini, being preserved at S.C. SERICAROM S.A. from Bucharest. The quality of the genetic material is high, and after the completion of the programs of improvement of the silkworms, the increase in the production of silk per box by 25% was achieved, of the silk weight by 15%, of the content in silky cover by 10.5%, and of the fibre length by 20%. Therefore there is the possibility to obtain high productions if the rearing technologies are respected.

The current state of the mulberry tree varieties genetic heritage. The mulberry tree genetic heritage is also in the management S.C. SERICAROM S.A. and contains domestic and foreign varieties introduced in exploitation since the early national organization of sericulture. According to the data provided, there are in the patrimony 59 mulberry tree varieties out of which 10 are domestic and 49 foreign. This genetic material corresponds to the pedoclimatic conditions of our country, contains varieties with high resistance to frost and drought, presents robust growth, with high productions of leaf of the highest quality, adaptable to intensive type plantations.

Outlook

Romania has established a strategy for the revival and development of sericulture for the following period, developed at the level of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, proposed for debate and implementation throughout the country. The recovery of the Romanian sericulture production, exigency towards the quality of the fibre, aspect that influences the price of silk for silk processors and consumers, modernization and promotion of small and medium sericulture farms that should exploit by-products resulting from rearing, and last but not least, efficient sericultural marketing, are just some of the objectives that can reinvigorate this domain with potential for rural socio-economy. Given the huge potential that Romania offers for this domain, the fact that the growth technologies are environmentally friendly technologies and provide a sustainable development in the area, the implementation of the development strategy and revival of silkworm rearing and processing of primary and secondary products from this domain is required.

At present, sericulture can be relaunched throughout the country due to the implementation of the strategy of silkworm rearing in family sericulture modules (FSM). These can use an improved biological material, benefit from the productive potential of the races and hybrids, and also of varieties of the mulberry tree created in the pedoclimatic conditions of our country, as well as the exploitation of silk cocoons spinning machines needed for the primary processing of silk.

In view of the current sericultural potential of Romania, given the fact that it is not known precisely the existing surface of mulberry trees, it is proposed that, at country level, three areas of interest should be exploited, given the existence of some mulberry plantations, respectively the experience and interest in the development of a business in the field of silkworm rearing.

6. PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENT

The recovery of the Romanian sericulture production, exigency towards the quality of the fibre, aspect that influences the price of silk of silk processors and consumers, modernization and promotion of small and medium sericulture farms that should exploit by-products resulting from rearing, and last but not least, efficient sericultural marketing are just some of the objectives that can reinvigorate this domain with potential for rural socio-economy. Given the huge potential that Romania offers for this domain, the fact that the growth technologies are environment friendly and provide a sustainable development in the area, the implementation of the development strategy and revival of silkworm rearing and processing of primary and secondary products from this domain is required.

At present, sericulture can be relaunched throughout the country due to the implementation of the strategy of silkworm rearing in family sericulture modules (FSM). These can use an improved biological material, to benefit from the productive potential of the races and hybrids, and also of varieties of the mulberry tree created in the pedoclimatic conditions of our country, as well as the exploitation of silk cocoons spinning machines needed for the primary processing of silk.

In view of the current sericultural potential of Romania, given the fact that it is not known precisely the existing surface of mulberry trees, it is proposed that, at country level, three areas of interest to be exploited, given the existence of some mulberry plantations, respectively the experience and interest in the development of a business in the field of silkworm rearing.

Collaboration with traditional sericultural countries in the area (Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Moldavia) as well as the ones from ISC and BACSA can guarantee the re-launch of this field of activity, while the exchanges of biological material, rearing and processing technologies, as well as the re-launch of traditional activities are the most efficient ways to increase the interest in sericulture.

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