Georgian Silk Production on the Rise

This summer, the Georgian Silk Association (GSA) and silkworm farmers successfully harvested cocoons from locally sourced and Bulgarian eggs. Fourteen families and one public school from Kakheti, Imereti, Samegrelo, and Tbilisi produced up to 100 kg of raw cocoons - up from just 13 kg in 2023–2024 and from the disastrous season of 2024-2025 when disease decimated the crop.

Since then, new more resilient eggs have been sourced and more know-how transferred to producers using the Silkworm Rearing Guidelines developed for the GSA and by a silk expert from the Agrarian University who is also planning to use the guidelines as part of his course.

The demand for cocoons is diverse, starting with the State Silk Museum, which has already purchased some of this years raw silk and is also equipping silkworm farmers and artisans with crafting skills, through silk crafting workshops, with plans to eventually purchase their handmade products. Additional interest comes from private crafters and rural businesses, with a promising market for silk pillows, baby quilts, and sleep masks. Interest is also growing online through the GSA’s Facebook page and media coverage, including reports on the silk harvest and sewing workshop  prepared by Agrogaremo TV, with a combined views of 100K views.

The GSA is now reviewing the season and planning for next year, expecting demand to exceed supply. For the second year, it has provided knowledge, resources, and market promotion—marking Georgia’s first organized silk production in decades. While Soviet-era mass production is gone, sericulture is returning as a small-scale, artisan craft feeding directly into the developing rural tourism market Georgia’s strong textile heritage, especially among rural women, offers a natural fit for silk in hand-weaving, dyeing, and design.

The ALCP2 helped establish the GSA, which serves as an essential support for rural silk producers, providing access to silkworm eggs, enhancing production, and increasing awareness of the sector.

The ALCP2 implemented by Mercy Corps Georgia, is funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) in cooperation with the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and Sweden.