SERICUL TURE AND THE PROCESS OF CHANGE - Institute for ...

here concern the supply of material inputs, training and extension and
marketing service.
Supply of Material Inputs: The inputs in sericulture may range
from the garden inputs including mulberry saplings and cuttings, farm
yard manure and chemical fertiliser, to the rearing inputs including
layings, disinfectants, insecticides as well as the rearing appliances and
equipments. Different agencies are engaged in the supply of different
inputs that are essential in the undertaking of sericulture.
Though new varieties of mulberry have been advocated, it is not
uncommon to see some farmers adopting sericulture with the plantation
of a traditional variety, not always by option but because of the ready
availability of one variety and the non-availability of another. Under the
NSP, efforts have been made in different areas to encourage farmers
taking up mulberry nurseries and plantation of new varieties through
incentives. However, the emphasis has been more on the incentives
rather than on the quality parameters and propagation of the new
varieties. As for the FYM, the farmers, many a time depend on own
sources or from the neighbours and calculate its input to the extent of its
availability, whatever be the advocated package. As for the fertilisers,
the dependency is on the traders as done for a majority of other
agricultural crops and the adequacy of its application is comparatively
better \vithin the consirieration of various factors including irrigation,
mulberry variety etc.
As for the reanng appliances, initially, the sericulturists,
especially the small and marginal farmers go either for a smaller scale
purchase from the craftsmen or go for second-hand ones from those who
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