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

urumum resources and live largely on its income. The intermediate
have relatively better access to resources and, though cultivate other
crops, their main attention goes to sericulture. The income from
sericulture for them means so much, in terms of a decent living. For the
affiuent category of sericulturists, sericulture is one among the many
commercial cash crops. The first and the last categories approximately
correspond to the marginal and the large farmers. The small and medium
farmers may correspond to the middle category or go along with the first
and the third categories respectively.
Considering the scale of operation, intensity of involvement and
motivational purpose, the sericulturists could be categorised as clientele
sericulturists, progressive sericulturists and capitalist sericulturists.
The capitalist sericulturists are those who adopt sericulture on a large
scale on commercial terms, exploiting the resources to their maximum
advantage The progressive sericulturists involve in sericulture on a
moderate scale and do it successfully. The clientele sericulturists
practice sericulture on a smaller scale and look for models and guidance
mostly from the progressive sericulturists. Even here, the marginal and
small farmers generally correspond to the clientele sericulturists, the
medium, to the progressive sericulturists and the large to the capitalist
sericulturists. The sericulture areas are mixed with all types of these
sericulturists. Some of these categories may well overlap with each
other. For instance, the case Velayudham of K K Pura, husband of
Easwari (case no. lOin appendix I) is one where a small farmer could
become a progressive sericulturist.
Velayudham had been in sericulture since 1972 and many of the later year
sencultunsts owe their initiation into sericulture to this leading sencultunst
190