73
CHAFTER-IV
SOCIO ECONOMIC AND /GRO ECQHOMIC GHM^jCTFRISTICS
OF THE SELECTED SMPLE CULIIVjffOR HOUSJHOLDS
In t h i s c h a p t e r , an a t t e m p t i s ma<3e t o analyse
t h e s o c i o e c o n o m i c end a g r o e c o n a n i c characteristics
of t h e sample c u l t i v a t o r h o u s e h o l d s i n t h e s t u d y r e -
gion, a c c o r d i n g t o t h e Zones and t h e d e l t a as a w h o l e .
T h i s c h a p t e r i s d i v i d e d i n t o two s e c t i o n s . In t h e
first section, characteristics such as a v e r a g e size
of t h e f a m i l y , vorker dependency r a t i o , l e v e l s of l i t e -
r a c y , d i s t r i b u t i o n of l a n d h o l d i n g s , t e n a n c y status,
s o u r c e s of i n c a n e , a s s e t s and p r o d u c t i o n liabilities
of t h e s e l e c t e d s a m p l e c u l t i v a t o r h o u s e h o l d s h a v e beeai
a n a l y s e d i n t h e Zones a c c o r d i n g t o s i z e g r o u p s of o p e -
rational holdings. In t h e s e c o n d s e c t i o n , some of the
h y p o t h e s e s r e l a t i n g t o farm s i z e and i n p u t o u t p u t rela-
t i o n s n ^ n e l y t h e n a t u r e of a s s o c i a t i o n betv/een t h e size
of o p e r a t i o n a l h o l d i n g s v i s - a - v i s p r o d u c t i v i t y , ferti-
l i s e r usfd, l a b o u r e n p l o y e d and o t h e r e x p e n s e s includ-
i n g b u l l o c k l a b o u r , t r a c t o r c h a r g e s anc i r r i g a t i o n , e t c . ,
and c r o p p i n g i n t e n s i t y (percentage) a l l in per hectare
terms a r e examined,
D e p e n d i n g on t h e o b j e c t i v e s , several criteria
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
, 83
t o the c l a s s i f i c a t i o n of c u l t i v a t o r households i n t o
d i f f e r e n t s i z e groups, have been defined,
For instance, (1) t h e d e f i n i t i o n used by the
Government of India in t h e small fanners development
programme (SFDA), hov;ever, vas purely on t h e basis of s i z e of
lend holdings and i r r i g a t i o n s t a t u s . According t o i t ,
if the s i z e of holding i s more than 10 h e c t a r e s , i t i s
considered as large s i z e holding, betv/een 4 hectares
t r 10 h e c t a r e s as medium s i z e holding, 2 hectares to
A hectares as semi medium s i z e holding, 1 hectare t o 2
hectares as small s i z e holdings BXIQ those who are hav-
ing 1' ss than 1 hectare of land holdings are marginal
fanners,
(2) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) (1978) in i t s
study on small fanners, used t h e gross farm incomes of
the c u l t i v a t o r s as t h e i r c r i t e r i o n , v:hen i t defined
the small farmers as one v/hose gross farm incone did
not exceed Rs,3,000/-.
(3) The All India Debt and Investment Survey
(AIDIS) in 1971-72, c l a s s i f i e d the c u l t i v a t o r s accord-
ing t o t h e i r a s s e t s . They defined the marginal farmers
as c u l t i v a t o r s having a s s e t s upto R s . 2 , 5 0 0 / - , very small
farmers having assets from Rs,2,500/- t o Rs.5,000/-,
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
, 81
small farmers vho have R s . 5 , 0 0 0 / - t o Rs.10,000/- of
assets and large farmers a r e those c u l t i v a t o r s vho
are having more than Rs,10,000/-,
Thus attempts at defining the c u l t i v a t o r s into
several s i z e groups have yieldec d i f f e r e n t operational
concepts. Hov;ever, for the purpose of our a n a l y s i s ,
the d e f i n i t i o n adoptee by the Government of India has
been used. ;^ccorc'ingly marginal holdings are those
with a s i z e of less than one h e c t a r e ; small holdings
are those \>;ith a size of 1.01 t o 2,00 h e c t a r e s , medium
s i z e holdings betv/een 2.01 t o 4.00 h e c t a r e s and large
holdings are those v/hose s i z e i s more than 4,00 hec-
t a r e i , e , 4,01 and above h e c t a r e s .
SFCTION-I
4 . 1 . 1 Average Size of the Family and
Vtorker Dependency R a t i o :
Data r e l a t i n g t o the average s i z e of the family
ana worker dependency r a t i o s of selected sample c u l t i -
vators according t o the s i z e groups of o p e r a t i o n a l
holdings in the Zonts ena t h e d e l t a region as a v^ole
are presented in Table 4 , 1 ,
I t can be seen from Table 4.1 t h a t t h e average
s i z e of the family of the c u l t i v a t o r households in the
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
,
TABLE-4.1
Snr^ KCRKFR-DFPINDFNCY R/fflO OP SAMPLF C
TO S I Z F GROUPS OP OPFR/fflONAL HOLDI
S i z e Group of ZONE-1
Operational Number o f /ft;erage Worker ishimbe
Holdings Ko Id i n g s Parni l y Dependency Holdi
Size (W/D)
Ratio-
1. 2. 3. 4. 5
Marginal 64 4.78 1.77 14
anall 29 4.55 1.70 6
Mediiim 11 4 . IS 2.03 2
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
Larqe 8.83 2.10
Total 110 4.88 1.79 24
CHAFTER-IV
SOCIO ECONOMIC AND /GRO ECQHOMIC GHM^jCTFRISTICS
OF THE SELECTED SMPLE CULIIVjffOR HOUSJHOLDS
In t h i s c h a p t e r , an a t t e m p t i s ma<3e t o analyse
t h e s o c i o e c o n o m i c end a g r o e c o n a n i c characteristics
of t h e sample c u l t i v a t o r h o u s e h o l d s i n t h e s t u d y r e -
gion, a c c o r d i n g t o t h e Zones and t h e d e l t a as a w h o l e .
T h i s c h a p t e r i s d i v i d e d i n t o two s e c t i o n s . In t h e
first section, characteristics such as a v e r a g e size
of t h e f a m i l y , vorker dependency r a t i o , l e v e l s of l i t e -
r a c y , d i s t r i b u t i o n of l a n d h o l d i n g s , t e n a n c y status,
s o u r c e s of i n c a n e , a s s e t s and p r o d u c t i o n liabilities
of t h e s e l e c t e d s a m p l e c u l t i v a t o r h o u s e h o l d s h a v e beeai
a n a l y s e d i n t h e Zones a c c o r d i n g t o s i z e g r o u p s of o p e -
rational holdings. In t h e s e c o n d s e c t i o n , some of the
h y p o t h e s e s r e l a t i n g t o farm s i z e and i n p u t o u t p u t rela-
t i o n s n ^ n e l y t h e n a t u r e of a s s o c i a t i o n betv/een t h e size
of o p e r a t i o n a l h o l d i n g s v i s - a - v i s p r o d u c t i v i t y , ferti-
l i s e r usfd, l a b o u r e n p l o y e d and o t h e r e x p e n s e s includ-
i n g b u l l o c k l a b o u r , t r a c t o r c h a r g e s anc i r r i g a t i o n , e t c . ,
and c r o p p i n g i n t e n s i t y (percentage) a l l in per hectare
terms a r e examined,
D e p e n d i n g on t h e o b j e c t i v e s , several criteria
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
, 83
t o the c l a s s i f i c a t i o n of c u l t i v a t o r households i n t o
d i f f e r e n t s i z e groups, have been defined,
For instance, (1) t h e d e f i n i t i o n used by the
Government of India in t h e small fanners development
programme (SFDA), hov;ever, vas purely on t h e basis of s i z e of
lend holdings and i r r i g a t i o n s t a t u s . According t o i t ,
if the s i z e of holding i s more than 10 h e c t a r e s , i t i s
considered as large s i z e holding, betv/een 4 hectares
t r 10 h e c t a r e s as medium s i z e holding, 2 hectares to
A hectares as semi medium s i z e holding, 1 hectare t o 2
hectares as small s i z e holdings BXIQ those who are hav-
ing 1' ss than 1 hectare of land holdings are marginal
fanners,
(2) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) (1978) in i t s
study on small fanners, used t h e gross farm incomes of
the c u l t i v a t o r s as t h e i r c r i t e r i o n , v:hen i t defined
the small farmers as one v/hose gross farm incone did
not exceed Rs,3,000/-.
(3) The All India Debt and Investment Survey
(AIDIS) in 1971-72, c l a s s i f i e d the c u l t i v a t o r s accord-
ing t o t h e i r a s s e t s . They defined the marginal farmers
as c u l t i v a t o r s having a s s e t s upto R s . 2 , 5 0 0 / - , very small
farmers having assets from Rs,2,500/- t o Rs.5,000/-,
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
, 81
small farmers vho have R s . 5 , 0 0 0 / - t o Rs.10,000/- of
assets and large farmers a r e those c u l t i v a t o r s vho
are having more than Rs,10,000/-,
Thus attempts at defining the c u l t i v a t o r s into
several s i z e groups have yieldec d i f f e r e n t operational
concepts. Hov;ever, for the purpose of our a n a l y s i s ,
the d e f i n i t i o n adoptee by the Government of India has
been used. ;^ccorc'ingly marginal holdings are those
with a s i z e of less than one h e c t a r e ; small holdings
are those \>;ith a size of 1.01 t o 2,00 h e c t a r e s , medium
s i z e holdings betv/een 2.01 t o 4.00 h e c t a r e s and large
holdings are those v/hose s i z e i s more than 4,00 hec-
t a r e i , e , 4,01 and above h e c t a r e s .
SFCTION-I
4 . 1 . 1 Average Size of the Family and
Vtorker Dependency R a t i o :
Data r e l a t i n g t o the average s i z e of the family
ana worker dependency r a t i o s of selected sample c u l t i -
vators according t o the s i z e groups of o p e r a t i o n a l
holdings in the Zonts ena t h e d e l t a region as a v^ole
are presented in Table 4 , 1 ,
I t can be seen from Table 4.1 t h a t t h e average
s i z e of the family of the c u l t i v a t o r households in the
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
,
TABLE-4.1
Snr^ KCRKFR-DFPINDFNCY R/fflO OP SAMPLF C
TO S I Z F GROUPS OP OPFR/fflONAL HOLDI
S i z e Group of ZONE-1
Operational Number o f /ft;erage Worker ishimbe
Holdings Ko Id i n g s Parni l y Dependency Holdi
Size (W/D)
Ratio-
1. 2. 3. 4. 5
Marginal 64 4.78 1.77 14
anall 29 4.55 1.70 6
Mediiim 11 4 . IS 2.03 2
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
Larqe 8.83 2.10
Total 110 4.88 1.79 24
