To Document the Role and Responsibilities of Extension Workers for Promotion of Sericulture Industry in Jammu and Kashmir (India)

Abstract

Bivoltine silk produced in Jammu and Kashmir is well recognized on global context but even though having most congenial climatic conditions, the raw silk yield is quite low. The reasons can be attributed to lack of awareness on proper rearing practices among the farmers and adoption rate of improved technologies. Therefore, current study was formulated to document the role and responsibilities of various research and extension institutions for progressive development of silk industry in Jammu and Kashmir (J and K). The survey was conducted in Poonch district of J and K, India during the month of March-April; 2021. The survey was conducted with selected (25) farmers and data were collected using questionnaire. Among 25 respondents, only 08 farmers belonged to middle age group (35 to 50 years) and 72% of them had minimum education level of below 10th standard. 21 farmers had more than 20 years of experience in sericulture and 72% farmers had very less exposure towards extension programmes. Only 15 farmers had attended training programmes and none of them have attended workshops, and farmer exhibition commonly known as kissan melas etc. Thus, the study recommends for strong need for collaboration between the farmers and extension professionals for strengthening sericulture. This would help not only to improve the farmers yield realization but also increase their income through sericulture in the long run.