Department of Agricultural Economics, MPKV, Rahuri-413 722, Maharashtra.
India is the second large country in the world in producing silk. In the state of Maharashtra, “Khadi Gramodyog and Vilage Industries Board” provides buy back intervention. With its network in 29 districts in Maharashtra, it provides input services like timely supply of planting material, disease-free laying, training to farmes, supplying of sericulture equipments and medicines and assured and remunerative marketing. Presently, there are 38 trading units in the state for the purchase of cocoon. This study has identified constraints faced by sericulture farm owners by collecting data during the year 2005–06 from Walwa and Sharala tehsils of Sangli district. The farmers of these two tehasils do the business of mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing. The rearing of silkworm is done by 17 farmers in the total area of 5 hectares. The analysis has been done by simple tabular method.
The study has identified four types of constraints faced by the silkworm rearing farmers: (i) non-availability of rearing equipments in time (86.67% farmers), (ii) temperature and humidity (86.67% farmers), (iii) high costs of manure, fertilizer and construction of rearing house (93.33 farmers), and (iv) fast deterioration in quality of coccon (86.67% farmers). For overcomingof these constraints, the following suggestions have been given: (i) purchase rate of cocoon should be increased (100% farmers), (ii) amount of subsidy should be increased (93.3% farmers), and (iii) trading units for puchase of cocoon should be within 20-km distance (80% farmer). These felt-needs of the farmers should be taken care of by different agencies and the government.
