In Michigan, Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. a leading developer of spider silk based fibers announced that work has begun under the collaborative agreement signed between Kraig and several farming cooperatives in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam to plant mulberry. The mulberry is the key input for the Kraig’s newly formed subsidiary, Prodigy Textiles, its proprietary hybrid silkworms, and the commercialization of their recombinant spider silk materials.
Silkworms are voracious eaters, consuming more than 100 kilograms of mulberry leaves for every kilogram of finished silk produced. For this reason, transportation logistics and local sourcing of mulberry are core to the Company’s strategic plan. Under these agreements the Company expects that as many as 2,500 hectares (~6177 acres) of mulberry will be planted near the Company’s new factory, supporting Prodigy Textiles spider silk production for several years to come.
“Access to large quantities of fresh mulberry is a core piece of our production growth strategy and was a key element of our decision to select Vietnam for commercializing our spider silk technology,” said Jon Rice, COO.