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UTCN Silk: A National Silk Industry for Nepal
Priority Program

UTCN Silk: A National Silk Industry for Nepal

From mulberry plantations to reeling, weaving, branding and export markets.

Our Message

A national silk industry, built cluster by cluster

UTCN is building an integrated national silk industry — from mulberry plantations and silkworm rearing to reeling, weaving, branding and export. The goal is not a project. The goal is a permanent industry that keeps value inside Nepal.

Every cluster we develop is designed to be commercially viable, women-inclusive, and connected to real domestic and international markets.

A national silk industry, built cluster by cluster
Value Chain

Mulberry to market — nine linked steps

Mulberry
1
Mulberry
Rearing
2
Rearing
Cocoons
3
Cocoons
Reeling
4
Reeling
Yarn
5
Yarn
Weaving
6
Weaving
Finishing
7
Finishing
Branding
8
Branding
Export
9
Export
National Program

A silk program shaped for Nepal's geography

Working with HFMN, provincial and local governments, cooperatives and private partners, UTCN identifies suitable land, mobilizes farmers, and installs processing and branding infrastructure — cluster by cluster, across Nepal.

  • Suitable mulberry belts identified across mid-hill and terai districts.
  • Cooperative-led rearing, aggregation and reeling.
  • Central processing, weaving and branding hubs.
A silk program shaped for Nepal's geography
National cluster map · illustrative
Cluster Model

10,000 Ropani Silk Cluster

One cluster is a complete, self-contained silk value chain — replicable across Nepal.

10,000
Ropani per cluster
500+
Farmer households
1,200+
Direct & indirect jobs
High
Cocoon yield potential
  • 1 Mulberry plantation
  • 2 Silkworm rearing
  • 3 Cocoon aggregation
  • 4 Reeling
  • 5 Spinning
  • 6 Weaving
  • 7 Quality control
  • 8 Branding & market linkage
10,000 Ropani Silk Cluster
National Vision

40 × 10,000 = 400,000

Ropani under mulberry across 40 silk clusters nationwide.

Farmer income

Long-term income for 20,000+ farming households.

Women & youth

Employment across rearing, reeling and weaving.

Industrial base

40 reeling & weaving hubs, one national brand.

Export earnings

Foreign exchange from silk yarn and finished goods.

Programs & Assets

What UTCN is building in silk today

Sankhejung Partnership

Sankhejung Partnership

Silk-tea agroforestry pilots on tea-adjacent land — mulberry inter-cropping and shared cooperative infrastructure with existing tea programs.

Partner with UTCN Silk

Register as a producer, buy from clusters or invest in the national silk industry.