Agricultural labour in rice based farming system:gender based multidimensional analysis

Abstract

The study entitled “Agricultural labour in rice based farming system: A gender based multidimensional analysis” was undertaken to study the female and male labour participation in the major operations of rice based farming system, their employment pattern and profile characteristics. It also aims to study the influence of labour organizations among agricultural labourers, the constraints experienced by the female and male agricultural labourers and their attitude towards improved farm practices. The study was conducted at Kunnathukal panchayat and Karode panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram district. A list of agricultural labourers in the two selected panchayats was prepared. From each panchayat 40 male and 40 female labourers were selected randomly. Thus totally 160 labourers were selected as the respondents of the study. The data were collected using a pre-tested and well-structured interview schedule. The study indicated that agricultural labourers in rice based farming system constituted mainly of old age people. Almost 90 percent of the respondents don’t possess land for own cultivation. Extension agency contact was almost nil for landless labourers. Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilai Union (KSKTU) was the only labour union functioning in the location. The study revealed that regarding gender roles, exclusively females performed transplanting in rice. None of the female labourers were employed for banana cultivation. Operations like land preparation, plant protection measures, fertilizer application and transport of harvested produce were operations segregated absolutely for male respondents. Men never perform picking and women never perform sowing in case of rice fallow pulse cultivation. Only males were employed as hired wage labour dairy sector, provided paid on a monthly basis. The maximum extent of labour participation of females was in the order of rice, vegetables and pulses and among males it was rice, banana, vegetables and pulses. The total number of employment days obtained by male respondents in a year was 112 days (67 days of agricultural labour + 35 days of non-agricultural labour). The total number of employment days obtained by female respondents in a year was 68 days (51days of agricultural labour + 17 days of non-agricultural labour). Men received more days of agriculture labour in the months of October and November and more days of non-agriculture labour during April. Women received more days of employment in agriculture during June. They experience slack of employment in non-agricultural sector during the months of Febrauary, May, June, July, August, September and October. In the case of rice farming male and female labourers performed 23 and 33 labour days respectively. Male labourers obtained 22 labour days of work in banana cultivation. In the case of vegetable cultivation male and female labourers performed 20 and 13 labour days of work respectively. Male and female respondents respectively received 2 and 5 labour days of work regarding pulse farming. The agricultural operation, which consumed maximum time, was transplanting in rice (10 hrs) followed by rice harvesting and staking in banana (8hrs). The non-agricultural operation that consumed maximum time was roadwork (9hrs). The total wage received by male labourers in a year was Rs.13862 ((Rs.8354 from agricultural labour + Rs.5508 from non-agricultural labour). The total wage received by female respondents was Rs.7795. (Rs.5748 from agricultural labour + Rs.2047 from non-agricultural labour). Wage discrimination was not much prominent in agricultural sector, whereas non-agricultural sector witnessed absolute wage discrimination between genders. In general, the constraints encountered by the agricultural labourers were reduced employment opportunities within agricultural sector, conversion of rice farming land for commercial crops cultivation and other non-agricultural purposes, and pressure to shift in non-agricultural sector. Seasonality of labour and drudgery prone tasks were the constraints experienced exclusively by the female labourers