An investigation of the sericulture and extension status in Iran

摘要

The overall aim of this study was to investigate the sericulture and extension situation for revitalizing silkworm cocoon production in Iran. To achieve this aim, 316 sericulturists were selected through stratified random sampling and 58 extension agents of Iran Silkworm Rearing Corporation were studied by census. To run the appropriate analyses, SPSS software was employed. This study was descriptive and quantitative research. The results showed that rate of presented training to sericulturists and extension agents have got the first rank in hatching stage. The rate of presented training to sericulturists and extension agents for processing cocoon to silk products was the last in the courses. Training courses to meet the educational needs should be provided to sericulturists by Iran Silkworm Rearing Corporation and also sericulturists tended to take part in training programs. The most important problem for the sericulturists at the time of sericulture was silkworm diseases or pests. Extension should encourage sericulturists to use their mulberry garden for their other products in a year. Sericulturists believe that increasing extension agents’ abilities through training and preparing the ground to establish cooperatives with a complete output cycle for revitalizing silkworm cocoon production are the most important things and ranked first. Regarding the view of extension agents, establishing the sericulture organization for revitalizing silkworm cocoon production was in the first rank. Extension agents should use methods of group discussion and result demonstration in sericulturists training. Also sericulturists are doing the silkworm rearing with the help of family members, so teaching all family members should be seriously considered which requires increasing the number of extension agents.