Soppeng Natural Silk Farmers Show High Perception and Motivation but Need Support

Image: article cover, from Wahyudi et al. (2019), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

A research team from the Makassar Environment and Forestry Research and Development Institute has assessed farmers' perceptions and motivation in developing natural silk enterprises in Donri-Donri District, Soppeng Regency, South Sulawesi. The findings, published in the Journal Wasian in 2019, show that farmers have a high perception of natural silk enterprises, particularly in relation to length of residence in the village and gender. Farmers' motivation generally stems from the ease of running the enterprise, their mastery of technology and the ready availability of information.

According to the research, natural silk enterprises have considerable potential for development, especially if the quality of silkworm seed and silkworm feed is improved. However, high perception and motivation alone are not enough. The research team noted the need for supporting factors to be in place so that the enterprise can develop optimally. To date, efforts to address natural silk problems have tended to be generic and have not been tailored to the diverse socio-economic backgrounds of the community.

For forest-edge communities and farmers in Soppeng, these findings provide an important basis for formulating natural silk development policy. Local government and extension workers can use this information to design better-targeted programmes that take account of farmers' socio-economic characteristics. The research also confirms that developing natural silk is not merely a matter of cultivation techniques but also involves institutional and market support for farmers.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article Perception and Motivation of Farmers in the Development of Natural Silk Business in Soppeng Regency Sulawesi Selatan by Wahyudi Isnan Wahyudi, Nurhaedah Muin Nurhaedah and Nur Hayati Hayati, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 6 No. 1 (2019). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Wahyudi, W. I., Nurhaedah, N. M., & Hayati, N. H. (2019). Perception and Motivation of Farmers in the Development of Natural Silk Business in Soppeng Regency Sulawesi Selatan. Jurnal Wasian, 6(1), 01–10. https://doi.org/10.62142/e65pbx02

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.