Women farm workers transplant rice fields in agricultural fields in Pathukannu near Puducherry on April 9, 2020. Image source: Kumar SS/Hinduism
A recent study found that land farmers engaged in non-breeding activities tend to increase the labor efficiency of their farms.
The study aims to understand the impact of multiple jobs on the efficiency of agricultural labor use. The researchers used data from the International Crop Research Institute (ICRISAT) in states such as Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
“This is important because participating in non-agricultural activities will change farmers’ labor allocation decisions between farm and non-farm activities,” the researchers said in the paper.
The data comes from rural dynamics of South Asia projects. The researchers used data envelope analysis to estimate labor use efficiency. This is a mathematical technique that compares the efficiency of multiple workers performing the same task without having to do exactly how they work.
Anviksha Drall, assistant professor of economics at Bangalore, and Sabuj Kumar Mandal, associate professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT-Madras, conducted the study.
Their article “Did multiple jobs improve labor use efficiency for farm operators? Evidence from rural India?’, Published In peer reviewed journals Applied Economics.
Researchers found that when farmers migrate within or outside their state, they gain new knowledge about farm practices that apply to the farm when they return. Usually, farmers have time to hand after sowing. In the following months, their families worked in agriculture. Mandal said large farmers with financial status hired Labor in absence.
Ms. Delal said: “The study recommends promoting structured non-agricultural employment opportunities in rural areas to maximize positive spillover effects on agriculture.”
Mr Mandal added: “Agriculture is becoming increasingly risky due to climate shocks and price fluctuations. Farmers are diversifying non-agricultural activities by starting family careers such as carpentry, crafts or sedans, or when they move. When they move, they learn how farmers in other states engage in farming activities and use of technology.”
Migration and multiple job holdings help in two ways: Invest in new agricultural practices and increase labor efficiency. “We think it’s not just about farming, but about diversifying non-farm activities,” Mandal said.
He added: “But to do business, you need money. Farmers face credit restrictions. So we recommend that the government should join and help farmers diversify non-breeding activities.”
The researchers said they deliberately selected data from villages in the country’s semi-arid and humid tropical areas. Randomly select families based on the village listing of each selected village.
The states cover semi-arid tropical and eastern regions and are vulnerable to sharp agricultural climate fluctuations, prompting them to engage in multiple jobs with stable incomes. A total of 1,415 households were considered in the study.
publishing – April 11, 2025 at 05:30 am IST
