Sericulture For Sustainable Environment and Income Generation: The Case of the CHED-DMMMSU Sericulture Project

Abstract

Abstract - This paper analyzed the role of sericulture as a tool for the socio-economic benefit of clients in the rural areas as well as its potential role for climate change adaptation as a result of the implementation of the CHED funded project entitled, Silk Technology Promotion and Commercialization: CHED-DMMMSU Strategy for Employment Generation of DMMMSU Graduates and Others as Agribusiness Entrepreneurs and in Support to RA 9242. The study was conducted in Bacnotan, Balaoan and San Gabriel, La Union. Descriptive analysis was used. Data was analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. Findings showed that most of the respondents were males, 33-59 years old, married with household size of 6, college graduate, main source of income is farming, owned and rented farms of less than a hectare to two hectares, and with the lands now planted with mulberry as previously unutilized and/or underutilized with some portions planted with camote, peanut, banana, rice or vegetables. Sericulture provided labor opportunities within the household for five to 75 years old. Labor generation for children of five to 24 years old is 41.18% while in support to Gender and Development, 30.77% of project cooperators are female, 38.1% of family members helping for silkworm rearing are female children while 30.3% are female adults, 33-53 years old. Income on cocoon production excluding other sericulture by products, amounting to P78,091 was generated by the farmer-sericulturist in 2009 with their income up to P12,390 and 117 ROI. In 2010, total income generated was P67,228 with highest income of P12,124. As of January 2011, the project produced a total of ( 1,038.05 (kg) ) fresh cocoons valued at P145,327, 105.46 kg raw silk yarn valued at P263,650 and ( 1,025.5(m) ) 100% silk fabric valued at P717,850. For environmental sustainability and natural resource management supportive to the Millennium Development Goals and on thrust on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, and RA 9729 (Phil. Climate Change Act), 3.3 hectares of unutilized and underutilized lands were made productive by planting mulberry trees. The total fresh biomass production of mulberry in the different project sites is ( 130,767.7 (kg) (about 28.57 tons/ha/yr). The 44,050 mulberry trees planted in the different areas has a total carbon dioxide sequestration of ( 172,977.5 (kg/yr) ) at a rate of 12,666kg/ha/yr (just one area with less than a year) to ( 53,998.65 (kg/ha/yr) ) in all other mulberry production areas. No occurrence of soil erosion was observed in all areas. Employing various strategies, the project was able to demonstrate the viability of sericulture for commercial cocoon production to 13 sericulture farmers surpassing its target by 30% integrating the conduct of research and extension and institutionalizing continuing support for the sericulture R & D/E activities. Sericulture is a good tool for climate change adaptation and mitigation manifested by its high rate of CO2 sequestration, prevention of erosion, use of marginal lands coupled with its income and labor generation potentials in almost all age levels. Thus, promotion of sericulture should be supported. Keywords - sericulture, climate change adaptation, income generation