Workers help breed the silkworms. [Photo/WeChat account: habbcn]

Hai'an – a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – experienced robust growth in its silk industry in the first quarter of 2022.

During the period, sales hit 3.9 billion yuan ($583.6 million), a year-on-year increase of 14.66 percent.

Over the course of Q1, the silk industry was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the difficult times, producers in Hai'an strove to overcome difficulties such as impeded transportation of raw materials and finished products and the escalating prices of freight and raw materials. In the event, they managed to achieve a strong start in the quarter.

In the current year, in order to develop a modern silk industry chain, the Hai'an agriculture and rural affairs bureau has set up a special working group to communicate its latest policies to the producers efficiently.

At present, there are 42 cocoon silk producers in Hai'an. In 2021, the industrial output value of the sector hit 12.1 billion yuan.