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The process of making silk from Sericulture by Liang Kai, Southern Song dynasty, c. 13th century. China is the world's largest and earliest silk producer. The vast majority of Chinese silk originates from the mulberry silkworms (Bombyx mori). During the larval stage of its life cycle, the insects feed on the leaves of mulberry trees.
The production of silk originated in China in the Neolithic period, although it would eventually reach other places of the world (Yangshao culture, 4th millennium BC). Silk production remained confined to China until the Silk Road opened at some point during the latter part of the 1st millennium BC, though China maintained its virtual monopoly over silk production for another thousand years.
In the 20th century, Japan and China regained their earlier dominant role in silk production, and China is now once again the world's largest producer of silk. The rise of new imitation silk fabrics, such as nylon and polyester, has reduced the prevalence of silk throughout the world, being cheaper and easier to care for. Silk is now once again ...
Production of some products is highly concentrated in a few countries, China, the leading producer of wheat and ramie in 2013, produces 95% of the world's ramie fiber but only 17% of the world's wheat. Products with more evenly distributed production see more frequent changes in the ranking of the top producers.
Silk is believed to have first been produced in China as early as the Neolithic period. Sericulture has become an important cottage industry in countries such as Brazil, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, and Thailand. Today, China and India are the two main producers, with more than 60% of the world's annual production.
India is the second largest producer of fibre. The country is the world's largest producer of cotton and jute. [5] [6] India is also the world's second largest producer of silk. [7] Other fibres produced in India include wool, and man-made fibres. 100% FDI is allowed via automatic route in textile sector.
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Between 1850 and 1930, raw silk ranked as the leading export for both countries, accounting for 20%–40% of Japan’s total exports and 20%–30% of China’s. [3] Between the 1890s and the 1930s, Japanese silk exports quadrupled, making Japan the largest silk exporter in the world.