A batch of silkworm seeds from Deqing county in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, were recently shipped to Lebanon, marking the beginning of a new journey to promote international agricultural cooperation.

In Huzhou, sericulture — the production of silk and the rearing of silkworms — has a long history, with a unique regional culture nurtured over centuries.

In recent years, Huzhou has seized the development opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative. The city has gathered industry resources and conducted technological research to promote the export of silkworm seeds.

Sheets of silkworm seeds from Huzhou in Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

According to Chen Farong, head of Huzhou Baobao Sericulture Company, the silkworm seeds exported to Lebanon this spring have shown promising results in sericulture due to Lebanon's Mediterranean climate — leading to an additional order of 400 sheets of silkworm seeds for export this time.

Notably, the company has already signed contracts for exporting 32,000 sheets of silkworm seeds to Lebanon over the next two years, indicating a promising future.

Zhan Pengfei, deputy director of the Silkworm and Mulberry Research Institute of the Huzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said the silkworm seeds produced by enterprises in Huzhou were mainly exported to countries such as Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. He added that this export of silkworm seeds to Lebanon opened up new markets.