Prospects of Sericulture in Border Areas of Jammu with Special Reference to Poonch District

Abstract

The most significant economic sector is sericulture, which has a variety of entrepreneurship opportunities and the ability to increase regular periodicity of economic returns. The effective rate of rearing and the techniques used during the rearing stage are the most crucial factors in a good cocoon harvest. Additionally, technical expertise and scientific knowledge are needed for silkworm cultivation. An effort has been done in the form of a survey research to learn more about the knowledge and skill profile of the sericulture farmers in the Poonch area. The study found that farmers lack technical expertise in commercial rearing and scientific knowledge. Low productivity in the district as compared to other districts of Jammu and Kashmir is caused by a lack of understanding about new technology. In this context, State Sericulture Development Department, Central Silk Board Sub-departments, and Post Graduate Department of Sericulture, Poonch Campus, University of Jammu, play important roles in the form of extension programmes for enhancing technical skills among the district's sericultural farmers. The study unequivocally shown that there were significant differences in the socioeconomic condition of sericulturists among the farmers in Tehsil Haveli, Poonch District, and that these differences also existed in knowledge and implementation of sericultural methods. Therefore, the extension staff must work together to convey better sericultural technology to the farmers in order to increase cocoon output.