Section 4
SEC. 4. The Institute shall have the following specific powers and functions: develop productive, high yielding, good quality and pest/disease resistant varieties/strains of mulberry and silkworm; produce adequate certified mulberry planting materials and high quality silkworm eggs; develop efficient, economic and productive mulberry leaf production, preservation and utilization technologies; develop sound and productive silkworm rearing technology; develop the production and fabrication of reeling and re-reeling machineries suitable for rural use; develop effective mulberry and silkworm pests management strategies; evolve productive farming systems compatible with mulberry leaf production; develop efficient and effective local and international marketing systems; develop and implement appropriate and applicable technology packages and effective technology dissemination and utilization systems, particularly the conduct of training programs; upgrade skills of farmers and their families, development agents and extension workers through trainings, seminars and workshops on mulberry leaf production and storage, silkworm rearing for industrial and seed cocoon production, reeling and re-reeling, handloom weaving and other silk product and by-product utilization; coordinate with the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in the conduct of higher and advanced sericulture degree programs; coordinate with other government/private agencies involved in the development of sericulture as a rural-based industry in the country.