Private Extension in Sericulture-A Case Study of NGO in Karnataka

Abstract

Sericulture is a labour-intensive employment creating and income generating agro- based cottage industry. The silk industry, by its nature, is a cluster of many non-farm and on-farm activities, and has a strong need for many forward and backward linkages. The NGOs are one of the four important agencies supporting the silk industry. The NGOs have a long history of service and dedication. They play a crucial role in mobilising and motivating the rural poor to take advantage of on-going projects through their meaningful participation. They play a vital role in enhancing the productive potential of the poorest of the poor in the present socio-economic environment. NGOs can contribute to sericulture development by promoting the participation of women, landless and other under-privileged groups, bringing people together to form local organisations like cooperatives, sales outlets, chawki rearing centres, fostering self- reliance among the rural people, training the local technicians as well as farmers in knowledge and skills; and thereafter creating the local teams for trouble-shooting and assisting the farmers in mulberry plantation and rearing, providing feed-back to government institutions on the relevance of innovations and organising material input supply such as suitable mulberry varieties, fertilisers, pesticides and disease free layings through local groups. The National Sericulture Project (NSP) incorporated a component of assistance to NGOs. This project witnessed both successes and failures with respect to NGOs’ contribution. For enabling the NGOs to work along with the government as partners in progress, it became essential to have an insight into the NGO successfully working in sericulture. Since this study was undertaken to understand the NGO role in sericulture industry, it needed to be exhaustive and hence the case study method was adopted. The B AIF Development Research Foundation, formerly the Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation, is a voluntary, non-profit organisation established in 1967. For efficient administration and implementation of development programmes state level societies were formed in each of the states. The state level society of Karnataka is known as the BAIF Institute for Rural Development-Kamataka (BIRD-K). The development projects being implemented by the BIRD-K cover 20 districts in Karnataka and 6 districts in Andhra Pradesh. BIRD-K has two sericulture projects: one for irrigated sericulture, and the other for rain-fed sericulture. The project for irrigated sericulture was started in 1998-99 under Transfer of Technologies for Sustainable Development project supported by the European Union (EU) through NABARD. The rain-fed sericulture project, Seri-2000 is being supported by the Swiss Development Corporation. The NGO is undertaking various sericulture related activities like mulberry garden for demonstration, mulberry nursery, silkworm rearing, reeling unit, training in subject areas like mulberry cultivation, silkworm rearing, silk reeling, silkworm seed production and waste cocoon management, grainage, research, extension programmes like demonstrations, group discussions, field day1 and study tours, and timely technical service in every aspect of sericulture. The BIRD-K is a very old and well established NGO and hence has very good linkages with many organisations helping a social cause. The NGO gets assistance from many government and non-government organisations in the form of finance and technical support. With this background, the present study was conducted with the following specific objectives.