Agricultural Labour and their Problems and Prospects in Andhra Pradesh

Sri D Brahma Naidu; K Sreedhar; K Dasaratharamaiah

Sri D Brahma Naidu Ph.D.Scholar, Dept. of Economics, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, Tamil Nadu, India
K Sreedhar Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Government. College (A), Anantapur, Andra Pradesh, India
K Dasaratharamaiah Professor, Department of Economics & Applied Economics, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ananthapuramu, Andhra Pradesh, India

Keywords: Main Workers, Marginal Workers, Pre-Reforms Period, Post-Reforms Period, Sub-Marginal Holdings, Landless Labourers, Advanced, Incremental Increase, Proprtion, Deprivation, Consumption Standards

Abstract

Agricultural labour occupies the lowest place in the socio-economic structure of the rural set-up in india. The percentage of agricultural labourers to total workers has increased over a period of time in rural India. There was a marginal decline in the total farm workers in the second phase and this decline reflects in the increase of the non-farm workers i.e., four percent and marginal workers by 11percent. The increase in the agricultural labourers was compensated by the decline in the cultivators so that at the aggregate level, there was no change witnessed in case of total farm sector. In the post-reform period, marginal workers increased at a higher level compared to non-farm sector. The promotion of small and cottage industries and village handicrafts and deployment of industrial estates in rural areas have created job opportunities for agricultural labour in non africultural sector.