Garret Ranking of Constraints Perceived by Silkworm Rearers in Sericulture Enterprise

Abstract

The current investigation primarily delves into the challenges faced by sericulture growers in mulberry and cocoon production. Sericulture, a highly competitive and capital-intensive enterprise, is prevalent across rural and semi-urban areas in India. This industry not only contributes to household income but also generates employment opportunities for entire families, with women actively participating in various facets of sericulture activities. A multistage sampling design was employed to select districts, tehsils, villages, and sericulture growers for the study. Specifically, Beed, Parbhani, and Jalna districts were purposively chosen in the Marathwada region due to their significant sericulture production. Two tehsils from each district and four villages from each tehsil were then selected, resulting in a total of 24 villages with 240 sample respondents. The study utilized Garret's ranking technique to assess the constraints affecting the adoption of sericulture production. The study identified four key types of constraints in the examined area: economic, technical, marketing, and supply constraints. According to Garret's ranking, the primary economic constraint was the high cost of inputs, including FYM, planting material, and chemical fertilizers. In the realm of technical constraints, a lack of information about Uzi fly control emerged as the major hurdle. Marketing constraints were predominantly characterized by fluctuations in cocoon prices, ranking highest in prominence. Additionally, insufficient FYM availability was highlighted as a significant supply constraint.