Rwanda will open a new silk factory in February at the Kigali Special Economic Zone that will purchase cocoons from domestic farmers and make products for export. The new Rwanda Silk Processing Factory is a partnership between HEworks Rwanda Silk Ltd, a subsidiary of Korean firm HEworks, and the National Agriculture Exports Development Board (NAEB).
The factory will first produce silk sheets, used in making bed covers and suit jackets, and raw silk yarn used in apparel manufacturing, according to a Rwandan newspaper report.Rwanda will open a new silk factory in February at the Kigali Special Economic Zone that will purchase cocoons from domestic farmers and make products for export. The new Rwanda Silk Processing Factory is a partnership between HEworks Rwanda Silk Ltd, a subsidiary of Korean firm HEworks, and the National Agriculture Exports Development Board (NAEB).#
The final test runs are under way and the first silk will be churned out before the end of February, said HEworks Rwanda Silk Ltd managing director Seok-Weon Yoon.
The factory, on which Rwf776 million has been invested already, this year will export 20 tonnes of silk—five tonnes raw and 15 tonnes sheet—which will generate $800,000, he said.
The target is to export silk worth over $100 million by 2025, Yoon said.
The factory’s target markets now are Asian nations like Korea and Japan, but it does eye potential markets in Europe like Italy, which is known for production of high quality silk cloths. (DS)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India