Identifying Training Needs in Sericulture: Adapting to Technological and Environmental Changes

Silk production is a multi-stage, skill-intensive process. From growing mulberry to reeling cocoons, every step depends on the knowledge and capability of the people involved. Yet one of the main factors behind low silk productivity in India is the lack of knowledge and skill in adopting various technologies. This is precisely why identifying training needs – before any training programme is designed – is a foundational step in building a capable sericulture workforce. When training is built on a clear understanding of what workers actually need to learn, it becomes targeted, effective, and directly tied to improved outcomes in silk production.

Why training need identification matters in sericulture 🔗

Sericulture is not a static industry. New silkworm breeds, improved rearing techniques, changing environmental conditions, and evolving legislation constantly reshape what farmers, technicians, and field staff need to know. To meet future demand for silk production, it is essential to strengthen human resource development at every level of the value chain. But strengthening human resources without first identifying gaps is a waste of time and money.

Training need identification (TNI) is the systematic process of determining where a gap exists between the skills workers currently have and the skills they need to perform their roles effectively. The difference between the actual level of job performance and the expected level indicates a need for training. A well-executed TNI ensures that the right people receive the right training – and that resources are not spent on programmes that don’t address real deficiencies.

What drives training needs in sericulture? 🔗

Training needs in sericulture arise from four broad types of change: technological, environmental, legislative, and manpower-related. Each of these creates new skill requirements that the workforce must be prepared to meet.

Technological change 🔗

Sericulture has seen significant technological advancement in recent decades. Technological interventions and skill upgradation play an important role in quality and productivity improvement across the silk value chain. For example, man-driven wooden charkas have been replaced by power-driven charkas and cottage basin silk reeling technologies, requiring reelers to learn new operational skills. Similarly, biotech tools for disease resistance, environmental control systems in rearing houses, and automated temperature and humidity control systems have been introduced in rearing operations. When a farmer who has practised traditional rearing methods for years is expected to work with climate-controlled facilities and hybrid silkworm races, targeted training is not optional – it is essential.

Environmental and climate change 🔗

Unexpected temperature fluctuations and changes in humidity can significantly affect the growth and health of silkworms. As climate patterns become less predictable, farmers and field staff need updated knowledge on adaptive rearing practices, pest and disease management under changing conditions, and environmental monitoring. Institutions like the Central Silk Board in India are investing in comprehensive research aimed at improving silkworm health and yield in response to these challenges – and training programmes must reflect this updated knowledge.

Legislative and policy changes 🔗

Regulatory changes – such as new quality standards for silk exports, amendments to the Silkworm Seed Act, or revised environmental compliance requirements – create training needs for farmers, processors, and administrative staff alike. Workers need to understand not just how to produce silk, but how to produce it within the current legal and policy framework. Keeping the workforce informed of these changes is a legitimate and often overlooked category of training need.

Manpower changes 🔗

When new staff are inducted, when experienced workers retire, or when roles are restructured, gaps in knowledge and skills inevitably emerge. Workforce planning data can help assess the impact of employees reaching retirement age, getting promoted, or needing to be back-filled – each of which generates training requirements. In sericulture, where much operational knowledge is passed informally, the loss of an experienced rearing supervisor can create significant skill gaps that formal training must address.

Categories of training needs in sericulture 🔗

Training needs in sericulture are typically classified into three categories: organizational, professional, and individual. Each operates at a different level and addresses different dimensions of skill and knowledge.

Organizational training needs 🔗

Organizational assessments are focused on the effectiveness of the enterprise as a whole – analyzing factors like the economy, new environmental policies, and changing workforce demographics. In the context of sericulture, this might involve assessing whether a state sericulture department has the collective capacity to implement a new government scheme, adopt a new variety of silkworm across its districts, or meet revised export quality norms. The training need here is not about one individual – it is about the organization’s ability to function effectively in a changed environment.

For example, when India’s Central Silk Board rolls out a new technology package for bivoltine sericulture, the entire network of field officers, extension workers, and farmers affiliated with state departments must be brought up to speed. Identifying this organizational need is what allows planners to design coordinated, system-wide training rather than ad hoc sessions.

Professional (task-based) training needs 🔗

Task assessments compile information about a particular job function – identifying key tasks, competencies, and skills required to perform the job efficiently. In sericulture, this category of need applies to specific occupational roles: a chawki rearer, a mulberry nursery manager, a silk reeling operator, a grainage technician, or a field extension officer. Each role has a distinct set of technical requirements.

The International Sericultural Commission, for instance, organises training on silkworm rearing (both young age and late age), mulberry cultivation technologies, silkworm seed production, extension management, and post-cocoon technology – each addressing the professional needs of a specific category of worker in the silk value chain. Identifying these professional needs involves reviewing job descriptions, observing on-ground performance, and consulting with subject-matter specialists and experienced practitioners.

Individual training needs 🔗

Individual assessment analyzes how well an individual employee is doing a job and determines the individual’s capacity to do new or different work, providing information on which employees need training and what kind. This is the most granular level of need identification. In sericulture, it might involve a supervisor reviewing a farmer’s cocoon quality and yield data to determine whether they need refresher training on late-age silkworm management, or whether a reeling worker needs additional instruction on operating a new type of cottage basin equipment.

The most common approach to individual analysis involves using performance appraisal data to assess training needs. In sericulture departments, this could also involve direct field observation, farmer interviews, or input from extension officers who provide feedback on which technical gaps are most commonly observed during farm visits.

How training needs are identified in practice 🔗

Identifying training needs requires structured data collection. Common methods include interviews, questionnaires and surveys, formal assessments, and direct observation of employees during their day-to-day activities. In the sericulture sector, these methods are applied across different stakeholder groups – farmers, extension workers, processing unit staff, and administrative personnel.

Field surveys and performance monitoring are particularly relevant. If cocoon yield data from a cluster of villages shows a persistent shortfall compared to the expected productivity of the recommended hybrid variety, this signals a gap that is likely to have a training-related solution – whether in rearing technique, leaf quality management, or disease control. Technological innovations such as disease-resistant silkworm breeds have been shown to achieve over 30% improvement in silk production efficiency and reduce disease outbreaks by 40% – but only when farmers are adequately trained to work with these innovations.

National training institutions play a key role in this process. Research and training institutes such as the Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute (CSRTI) in Mysore and Berhampore, and the Central Silk Technological Research Institute (CSTRI) in Bangalore, impart training on newly evolved technologies to technical staff and farmers. These institutes also serve as reference points for identifying what the current best-practice standards are – and therefore, what gaps need to be addressed through training.

Linking need identification to training design 🔗

The purpose of identifying training needs is not just academic – it directly shapes the design, delivery, and evaluation of training programmes. Once training needs are clearly identified, organizations can develop customized training programmes designed to upskill employees in the areas where they need it the most, rather than delivering generic content that may not be relevant to everyone.

In sericulture, this has practical implications. A farmer who has been rearing multivoltine silkworms for a decade and is transitioning to bivoltine production has very specific needs – around understanding the environmental sensitivities of bivoltine breeds, adjusting rearing schedules, and improving hygiene and disinfection practices. A newly recruited field extension officer, on the other hand, has a different set of needs that are more foundational and comprehensive. Training programmes at CSRTI include Technology Orientation Programmes, Farmers’ Skill Training, Need-Based Training, and Intensive Bivoltine Training – each calibrated to a different audience and purpose. This diversity of programmes is only possible because needs at the organizational, professional, and individual levels have been thoughtfully identified first.

Ultimately, training need identification is not a one-time activity. As technologies evolve, environmental pressures mount, and the workforce changes, the training needs of the sericulture sector will shift. A systematic, regular process of need identification ensures that training remains current, relevant, and genuinely useful – leading to measurable gains in silk quality, yield, and industry sustainability.

What do you think? How should sericulture departments balance standardized training programmes with the diverse individual and regional needs of farmers across different silk-producing zones? And as climate change continues to alter silkworm rearing conditions, which category of training need – organizational, professional, or individual – do you think requires the most urgent attention?

References

1. https://www.ignfa.gov.in/document/biodiversity-cell-ntfp-related-issues4.pdf
2. https://hr-guide.com/Training/Determining_Training_Needs.htm
3. https://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2503525.pdf
4. https://www.faunajournal.com/archives/2025/vol12issue4/PartA/12-4-2-196.pdf
5. https://diversedaily.com/sericulture-production-of-silk-through-the-rearing-of-silkworms/
6. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/money-business/workplace-learning-coaching-and-mentoring/content-section-1.1
7. https://trainingindustry.com/articles/professional-development/how-to-identify-training-needs-at-your-organization/
8. https://csb.gov.in/silk-sericulture/sericulture
9. https://inserco.org/en/traning
10. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/training-and-development/planning-evaluating/
11. https://www.learningeverest.com/reassessing-the-three-levels-of-training-needs-analysis/
12. https://www.fao.org/4/w5830e/w5830e0g.htm
13. https://www.learningeverest.com/valuable-methods-for-identifying-organizational-training-needs/
14. https://www.trainingfolks.com/blog/how-to-determine-training-needs-of-employees
15. https://dacollege.org/uploads/stdmat/zoology-unit5.pdf