Socio-economic Analysis among the Farmers Engaged in Sericulture Practices in Jorhat District of Assam, India

Abstract

Sericulture is profitable and a labour intensive industry with very low input that gives employment generations and regular income to the farmers. Socio-economic factors play an important role in determining the knowledge and adoption levels of sericulture practices for production of eri, muga and mulberry Silk. An investigation has been conducted to know the socio-economic condition of seri farmers in Jorhat and Majuli (undivided) district of Assam. The study revealed that majority of the sericulture farmers of the study are belonged to middle age group (60.00%), high school passed (34.17%), other backward class (OBC) caste (30.84%), small size family (60.83%) and exclusively of farming category (45.83%) as their main occupation. Majority of the respondents are marginal farmers (61.67%) having operational land holding of below 1 hector, annual income (37.50%) were in the range of Rs.35001 to Rs.75000/-. About 50% of the respondents involved in eri culture, muga culture (25%) and in mulberry culture. (25%), have medium level of source of extension contact (67.50%), medium level of risk bearing ability (78.33%) and medium level of decision making ability (79.17%) and 42.50 % of the farmers got training exposure to sericulture practices. The study indicates that Sericulture can come out as the most vital opening, in generating income among the farmers in rural areas. Most of the farmers involved in sericultural activities have minimum educational qualification, so government and state sericulture department can organize effective training and development activities along with the line departments to uplift socio-economic status of the seri farmers in rural areas.