Cubans breed silkworms for silk production in Matanzas.

A Cuban project led by biochemist Dayron Martín raises silkworms in the province of Matanzas for the production of crafts.

ArteSeda is an initiative developed at the "Indio Hatuey Experimental Station" in the central-southern part of the island, where everything is monitored from the breeding of the silkworms to the production of their food.

The Reuters news agency was able to confirm that there, amidst dark green Mulberry leaves, a fundamental food source for caterpillars, hundreds of cream-colored worms move, spinning a fine white fiber that will soon be used by Cuban artisans.

"It is an ancient process of over 5,000 years. It was discovered in China," Martín pointed out in an interview with the aforementioned outlet.

He said that Cuba offers the perfect conditions for the breeding of silkworms, with cool temperatures and adequate air circulation in the breeding facilities, ensuring optimal growth throughout the year.

Silkworms, larvae of the Bombyx mori moth, produce a silk fiber cocoon that has been commercially used for centuries.

The project is financed by the European Union and the Cuban and French governments, and aims to transfer this ancient art to local artisans.

This project is not new in Indio Hatuey, since 2005 Cuban researchers have been working on the breeding of silkworms and the cultivation of mulberry trees, to make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and scarves.

In 2018, it was reported that researchers were seeking funding for the maintenance of the project, which has now apparently come from the EU.

In Havana, the cultivation of these worms is also beginning.

According to Reuters, artisan Dalgi Chaviano, owner of a store in the country's capital, has already been authorized to cultivate Mulberry trees and silkworms in the city.