1972: Foundation of Silk production complex (S.P.C) at Pasikhan farm- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

1980: Establishment of Iran Silkworm Rearing Company (I.S.R.C) formed of two governmental sections i.e. S.P.C. and Pilehvar Co. and one private company i.e. Guilan silk company.

1981: Changing of Pasikhan farm function as studying and investigation unit Iran Silkworm Rearing Co and Starting to work in Pasikhan farm as an investigation unit- Iran Silkworm Rearing Co.

1985: Start of Silk Research Project under the supervision of I.S.R.C.

1992-1997: Execution of joint project between I. R. Iran and United Nations development program (U.N.D.P) for “Silkworm breeding and egg production technologies improvement (IRA/89/032/A/01/12) at Pasikhan farm and establishment of silkworm germplasm.

2004: Transferring of duties, responsibilities, staff and potentialities of studying and investigation to Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization and eventually the establishment of the Iran Silk Research Center (ISRC) as a national center.

The establishment of Pasikhan Farm under the name of Silk Production Complex - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development dates back to 1973. Later, with the merger of two state-owned companies, Pilehour and the Silk Production Complex, and a non-governmental sector called the Guilan Silk Company, in 1980, the Iran Silkworm Breeding Company was established. . This complex implements a project called the Silk Research Project, using the financial resources of the Agricultural Research and Training Research Organization, to carry out research projects approved by the Tat Organization based on the executive priorities and challenges in the field of sericulture.

But the formation of the country's silk research center dates back to 2004. sericulture Studies and Surveys Unit of Silkworm Breeding Company in Pasikhan Complex, by delegating the duties, powers and facilities of sericulture Research Department from that company to the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, and based on the approval of the Supreme Administrative Council, the country's Silk Research Center officially Research began. With its organizational activities and functions in the form of 6 general approaches of the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, interacting with the relevant executive bodies, this center also pursues two important governance tasks:

1- Preservation and maintenance of the country's silkworm gene bank and mulberry collection in the Tutestan collection of Pasikhan

2- Supply of ancestral eggs for the corresponding executive bodies and the private sector, so that with these technological products in the upstream lines of the center, it is possible to produce commercial eggs in the downstream lines of the executive and private sectors for farmers across the country.

History of Sericulture in Iran

Silkworm breeding, which is known as Sericulture activity, with a history of 4500 years in the world, has long been popular in our country. So that this border and environment has always benefited from the impact of this industry on social, cultural, economic and تع interactions. Sericulture in Iran has gone through a history of ups and downs, the ups and downs of which were evident in the Safavid era and its descent in the Qajar era. In fact, economically and culturally, silkworms founded the Renaissance of Asian art and industry. In Iran, the silkworm was so important that Jamshid (Achaemenid king) considered the spread and development of silkworm breeding in Iran as part of his important actions or in recent centuries, a large part of Western writings about Iran during the nineteenth century to silk ( Gilan silk) is dedicated. Some historians believe that Iran was the origin of yellow silk production. The peak of silk production in Iran dates back to 400 years ago and the Safavid era, when the country's raw silk production reached 3,000 tons per year. However, with the outbreak of Pebrin disease, the amount of production decreased, which remained the same until the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1978. However, considering the importance of silkworm breeding and industry after the glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution, the government established the Iranian Silkworm Breeding Company in 1979 to support the development of this industry and carpet weaving profession as a way to develop the living standards and socio-economic status of the people. And especially the villagers.

Global products and Iran's position

China's silk production is 170,000 and India is 28,523 tons. China ranks first in the world with 1.84 percent of total silk yarn production, followed by India, Uzbekistan and Thailand with 1.14 percent, 0.6 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively. More than 90% of the world's cocoon and silk production is concentrated in Asia, and Iran ranks eighth in the world in silk yarn production. Iran's decline has been followed by more than a decade of stagnant silk production in the past. It is worth noting that the amount of Silkworm egg production in the seventies increased from about 200,000 boxes to less than 30,000 boxes in recent years. Decrease in production is affected by various factors, namely, with the consumption of the final product being limited to the country's carpet industry and due to the reduction of Iran's share in carpet exports (due to sanctions, etc.), changes in the global cocoon and silk market and The rapid growth of other Caspian littoral states and the issue of competition, declining interest of nomads and other economic issues affected by market conditions accelerated.

The volume of domestic production in recent years and the current situation in the country

According to official statistics, the volume of Silkworm eggs consumed by Silkworm farmers has experienced a significant recession over the past 15 years, from 200,000 boxes in the late 1970s, all of which included commercially produced commercial hybrids, to less than 20,000 boxes in The year 2012 was reduced. In recent years, when the production of cocoons and silk in Iran saw a significant decrease, the price of cocoons produced could not meet the efforts of farmers. Due to the high quality of its domestic Silkworm eggs, Iran was one of the exporters of Silkworm  eggs to Central Asian countries in the 1980s, but unfortunately these markets were lost due to lack of proper planning at that time.

In 2016, the volume of wet cocoons produced is equal to 4.923 tons, dry cocoons are 36.369 tons, and extracted silk is 7.147. The average production of cocoons per box of Silkworm eggs was 95.32 kg. It is necessary to explain that the index of cocoon production performance per box during the 70's was less than 25 kg, but by carrying out several breeding projects for many years in the country's Silk Research Center, while producing technological cores and providing them free of charge to executive agencies with production. High-yield and resistant commercial hybrids, according to the official report of the Sericulture Development Center in 2016, reached 9.32 kg of cocoons in each box, thus significantly improving the performance index. In the same year, 18,475 households were engaged in Sericulture. The area of ​​Tutistan in the country was 14,750 hectares and the provinces of Gilan, Khorasan and Mazandaran with 6065, 497 and 475 hectares of Tutistan, respectively, had the highest area. The volume of cocoons produced without the need for government intervention to guarantee the purchase of Silkworm farmers cocoons was generally purchased by the private sector, which is a sign of market interest and need, and therefore this is considered positive. Also, in some provinces that did not have much history before, Sericulture activity took place. The need of the country's carpet industry for silk yarn is more than 1200 tons per year, while if all the cocoons produced in the country were converted into yarn in 1995, less than 150 tons of yarn will be supplied, which does not meet the domestic demand for yarn consumption in the carpet industry.

In 2017, despite the supply of Silkworm eggs technological cores for free by the Silk Research Center and according to the needs of the executive apparatus, the producers of the executive sector were able to meet only half of the country's consumption and inevitably, about 50% of Silkworm eggs through imports. Supplied from China.

Out of 28162 boxes of Silkworm eggs distributed in 2017, about 13711 boxes were supplied through imports from China. Due to the diagnosis of pebrin disease, 4595 boxes of domestic eggs were distributed among the breeders, but despite breeding 23,567 boxes of eggs free of any disease produced inside and outside, an average of 36 kg of cocoons were recorded in each box and about 850 Wet tons of cocoons were produced in the country, and in addition, 18,483 households participated in silkworm breeding.

But in 2018, with a 110% increase in the guaranteed price of wet silk cocoons during the last four years, the guaranteed price of wet cocoons reached 18104 Tomans.

According to the public relations of the Deputy Minister of Livestock Production of the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, the head of the Silkworm Livestock Development Center announced the distribution of 26,000 boxes of Silkworm eggs among the nogandars of 22 provinces. He said that on this basis, over 965 tons of fresh silk cocoons have been produced and entered the market. Despite the fact that the silk cocoon has a guaranteed price of 18104 Tomans, fortunately the market reaction was such that in 2018, on average, 34,000 Tomans per kilo of fresh silk cocoon was bought from Silkworm farmers, and therefore this can be promising for the development of Silkworm farmers in the year. To be in the future. With the production of 978 tons of fresh silk cocoons, following the increase in the price of cocoons in 2018, the income of Silkworm farmers has increased by more than 55%.

Also, the import tariff for silk yarn in 2018 increased from 15% to 26%. The value of the cocoon produced in the country in 2018 is estimated at about 33 billion tomans, which compared to 2017, shows an increase of 115 tons.

Due to the impossibility of production in the downstream lines of the corresponding executive apparatus (Sericulture Development Center) affected by the disease, the production efficiency in the downstream production lines is reduced and in addition the small number of technical forces and the depreciation of production facilities available to the executive apparatus are predicted. An important part of the consumption needs of Silkworm farmers in 2019 was inevitably imported from abroad. The table below shows the distribution of Silkworm eggs in the country, including the technological nuclei of Silkworm eggs ancestors and bases, which were provided free of charge by the Silk Research Center to the corresponding executive body.