Abstract:
.Sericulture, the technique of silk yarn production, is an agro- industry, which has contributed to the urban and rural economy of Ondo and Oyo States of Nigeria. Silk yarn is a protein produced from silk-glands of silkworms. The value attached to silk yarn clothing cannot be over emphasized because the production of silk yarn as a natural protein fibre which has been used for fabric production for centuries even before the coming of the white men in Nigeria. This study was able to assess silk yarn production in Ondo and Oyo States of Nigeria. The towns selected were Owo, Akure and Ondo in Ondo States and Iseyin and Oyo in Oyo State. To achieve this, data on issues relating to the specific objectives of the study were collected through structured questionnaires. Four sets of structured questionnaires were administered to the producers, weavers, traders and consumers of silk yarn production in four randomly selected towns in Ondo and Oyo state Nigeria .Viz (Owo, Ondo, Akure, Iseyin and Oyo). The questionnaires were designed to obtain information on age groups, occupation and sex of those interested in silk yarn production. The questionnaires were collected, collated and analyzed. Descriptive statistics that involves the use of frequency distribution, mean score and percentage were used to analyse the data obtained with the four sets of questionnaires administered.
The study also look into effort made by government and private organization in the establishment of silk production in the selected States. It equally identifies factors that could aid the establishment of cottage silk production. It further identifies the needs of end-users, weavers and textile industries that could enhance national economic development and also assessed the adequacy of locally available technical and infrastructural facilities for the production of silk yarns. In all, silk yarn production is important to the nation’s economy an it’s a potential source of employment for both urban and rural communities.
