Rural Labour Employment through Mulberry Sericulture - An Analysis of Cross-sectional Study

Mulberry sericulture is being considered as one among the rural development programmes in the country. It is well suited for landless, marginal and small landholders. Studies showed that it assures periodical income throughout the year. After 1990s, Tamil Nadu has become one of the important silk producing states in the country. Many projects were implemented to increase silk production in the State, which has resulted in increase of silk productivity and quality. However, the prospects of employment potential by different farm holding sizes have become necessary to assess the magnitude of employment opportunities in sericulture. In this context, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Erode and Dharmapuri districts in Tamil Nadu during 2003-04. The study reveals that mulberry sericulture employs higher magnitude of own family labour, and is female labour centric. Further, the study shows that as the holding size increases, the quantum of employment generation declines. Sericulture can be popularised in rural areas to supplement employment generation for landless, marginal and small farmers.