By 20 pc China's silk industry, which is well on its way to restoring its former glory, has set a more moderate export projection for this year. The State Cocoon and Silk Co-ordinating Office, the industry's regulator, on April 4 said exports would grow by 20 per cent this year. Playing down the good growth in the first month of the year, Yang said the country may not be able to sustain that momentum for the whole year. China produces and exports 70 per cent of the world's silk, but that sector shrank in the five years up to 1999 after which the business picked up, Yang said. As part of its effort to intensify macro-control over the sector, Yang said the mulberry growing acreage, which now stretches to 733,000 hectares, will not expand significantly this year.
Silk worms eat mulberry leaves.