Chapter-8 Rural Livelihoods

Kalpattu village:
Location: Kalpattu is a village near the sea coast in Tamil Nadu.
Non-farming Work:
 Villagers engage in non-farm activities like making baskets, utensils, pots, bricks, and bullock-
carts.
 Service providers include blacksmiths, nurses, teachers, washermen, weavers, barbers, and cycle
repair mechanics.
 Shopkeepers and traders are also present in the village.
Bazaar Area:
 The main street resembles a bazaar, with small shops like tea shops, grocery shops, barber shops,
cloth shop, tailor shop, and fertiliser and seed shops.
 There are four tea shops offering idli, dosai, and upama in the morning, and snacks like vadai,
bonda, and mysorepak in the evening.
Occupational Diversity:
 Blacksmith family: Their home doubles as their workshop.
 Cycle hire and repair shop is adjacent to the blacksmith’s home.
 Two families make a living by washing clothes.
 Some villagers work in nearby towns as construction workers and lorry drivers.
Farming Activities:
 Kalpattu is surrounded by low hills.
 Paddy is the primary crop, grown in irrigated fields.
 Other crops include cotton, sugarcane, plantain, and coconut groves.
 Mango orchards are also present in the village.

Thulasi: Thulasi’s life and work in Kalpattu village:

Employment:
 Thulasi works on Ramalingam's paddy fields in Kalpattu, which span 20 acres.
 She has been working in paddy fields since her youth, even before marriage.
Work Schedule:
 She works from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
 Currently, she is involved in transplanting paddy.
 After transplantation, she will be called back for weeding and harvesting later in the year.
Challenges of Aging:
 As she grows older, Thulasi finds it difficult to bend for long hours while working in water.
Wages:
 She is paid Rs 40 per day, which is slightly lower than what laborers earn in her native village.
 However, she continues to work for Ramalingam because he provides reliable employment and
does not seek cheaper labor from other villages.
Husband's Work:
 Thulasi's husband, Raman, is also a laborer.
 During the paddy season, he sprays pesticides.
 When there is no farm work, he works outside loading sand from the river or stone from nearby
quarries, which is used for construction in towns.
Household Responsibilities:
 In addition to working in the fields, Thulasi manages all household chores, including cooking,
cleaning, and washing.
 She also collects firewood from the nearby forest and fetches water from a village borewell
about one kilometre away.
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 Family and Financial Struggles:
 Thulasi and her husband have school-going daughters, who are a source of joy for them.
 They faced financial strain when one of their daughters fell ill and required hospital treatment.
 To repay the money they borrowed from Ramalingam for medical expenses, they had to sell their
cow.
Daily Household Activities:
 Poor families in rural areas spend a significant amount of time collecting firewood, fetching
water, and grazing cattle.
 These activities do not generate income but are essential for household survival.
Economic Constraints:
 Due to insufficient earnings, families must allocate time to non-income-generating tasks to meet
basic needs.
Agricultural Laborers:
 Nearly two-fifths of rural families in India are agricultural laborers.
 Some rural families have small plots of land, while many, like Thulasi, are landless and rely
solely on labor work.
Seasonal Work and Migration:
 Rural workers often cannot find employment year-round, which compels them to seek work
elsewhere.
 This leads to seasonal migration, where people travel long distances during specific times of the
year in search of work.

Sekar: Small farmer’s experience in Kalpattu.

Small Landholding:
 The family owns only two acres of land.
 They manage all the farm work by themselves and sometimes take help from other small farmers
during the harvest.
Mutual Help Among Farmers:
 The small farmer exchanges labor with others, helping each other during harvest time.
Dependence on Traders:
 Seeds and fertilizers were taken as a loan from a trader.
 To repay this loan, the farmer must sell paddy to the trader at a lower price than the market rate.
 The trader’s agent reminds farmers to sell their harvest to him.
Paddy Yield and Usage:
 The farmer expects to harvest around 60 bags of paddy.
 Some of this paddy will be sold to settle the loan, and the rest will be used at home.
 The paddy stock will last only for eight months, necessitating additional income.
Additional Work:
 To earn more, the farmer works at Ramalingam's rice mill, where they help collect paddy from
neighboring farmers.
Hybrid Cow:
 The family also owns a hybrid cow, and they sell its milk to the local milk cooperative for some
extra money.

On being in Debt : Details regarding debt and its impact on farmers.

Need for Loans:
 Farmers, like Sekar, often need to borrow money to buy essential inputs such as seeds, fertilizers,
and pesticides.
Source of Loans:
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  Many farmers borrow money from moneylenders, who may charge high interest rates.
Crop Failures:
 If seeds are of poor quality, crops are affected by pests, or if there is insufficient rain during the
monsoon, crops may fail, leading to financial losses.
Inability to Repay Loans:
 In case of crop failure, farmers often struggle to repay their loans.
 To keep the family afloat, they may have to borrow more money, worsening their financial
situation.
Debt Trap:
 The loan can grow so large that farmers are unable to repay it, no matter how much they earn.
This situation is known as being "caught in debt."
Farmer Distress:
 In recent years, rising debt has caused significant distress among farmers in India.
 In some areas, the burden of debt has tragically led to farmer suicides.

Ramalingam and Karuthamma:

Multiple Sources of Income:
 In addition to owning land, Ramalingam's family runs a rice mill and a shop that sells seeds,
pesticides, and other farming supplies.
Investment in Rice Mill:
 The family used both their own money and a loan from the government bank to set up the rice
mill.
Paddy Procurement:
 They purchase paddy from farmers within the village and from surrounding villages.
Rice Sales:
 The rice produced in the mill is sold to traders in nearby towns.
Substantial Income:
 The rice mill and the shop provide the family with a significant source of income, diversifying
their earnings beyond agriculture.

Terrace Farming in Nagaland: Terrace farming in Chizami village, Nagaland.

Location:
 Chizami village is located in Phek district, Nagaland.
 The people belong to the Chakhesang community.
Terrace Farming:
 The villagers practice terrace cultivation, which involves carving flat plots on hill slopes.
 These flat plots are arranged in steps, with raised sides to retain water, ideal for rice cultivation.
Water Management:
 The raised edges around the terraces help retain water in the fields, which is crucial for growing
rice.
Collective Work:
 While each family owns individual fields, villagers work together in groups to help each other
with tasks like weeding.
 Groups of 6 to 8 people work on cleaning an entire mountainside together.
Community Practices:
 After finishing their work for the day, the group eats together.
 This collective effort continues for several days until the work is completed.

Agricultural Labourers and Farmers in India:

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 Agricultural Laborers:
 In Kalpattu, there are many agricultural laborers like Thulasi, who rely on working in other
people's fields for their livelihood.
 Nearly 40% of rural families in India are agricultural laborer families, many of whom are
landless or own very small plots of land.
Small Farmers:
 Small farmers like Sekar have limited land, often insufficient to meet their family’s needs.
 In India, 80% of farmers belong to this group, owning small plots of land.
Large Farmers:
 Only 20% of farmers in India, like Ramalingam, are large farmers.
 These farmers cultivate most of the land in villages and sell a large portion of their produce in
the market.
 Many large farmers diversify their income by running businesses such as shops, moneylending,
trading, and small factories.
Livelihood Diversification:
 Apart from farming, many rural families depend on additional sources of income such as:
o Forest Collection: In some regions of central India, villagers collect mahua, tendu leaves,
and honey to sell to traders for extra income.
o Animal Husbandry and Dairy: Selling milk to the village cooperative society or in nearby
towns is a primary livelihood source for some families.
o Fishing: In coastal areas, fishing is a major livelihood source, as illustrated by families
like Aruna and Paarivelan in Pudupet, a village near Kalpattu.
Rural Economy:
 Rural families often have a mixed economy, relying on agriculture, forest products, animal
husbandry, and fishing to sustain themselves.

Agriculture and Farmers

1. Main occupation in villages
o Agriculture is the most commonly practiced occupation in Indian villages.
2. Components of agriculture
o Agriculture includes both farming and animal rearing.
3. Geographical variation in crop production
o Different regions with varying climatic conditions support the growth of different crops
like wheat, paddy, millets, and corn.
4. Types of crops grown
o Villages grow a variety of crops, including cotton, coconuts, vegetables, wheat, and
paddy.
5. Dairy farming
o Dairy farming involves breeding milk-giving animals such as cows and goats, with
villagers selling the milk.
6. Poultry farming
o Some villagers practice poultry farming by breeding hens and ducks and selling eggs.
7. Role of land in farming
o Agricultural farming depends largely on the availability of land.
8. Farmers with large landholdings
o Farmers with large fields grow enough crops for their family's consumption and for sale
in the market.
9. Farmers with small landholdings
o Farmers with smaller land grow crops partly for their own use and partly for selling.
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 10. Employment in agriculture
o Not all people working in fields own the land; some are hired as part-time workers to
assist with agricultural activities.

Aruna and Paarivelan:

Fishing as Livelihood:
 The people of Pudupet earn their living primarily through fishing. Their houses are located close
to the sea, and catamarans and fishing nets are commonly seen around the village.
Fishing Activity:
 Early in the morning, around 7 a.m., the fishermen return from the sea with their catch.
 Women gather on the beach to buy and sell fish. Some women take the fish to nearby villages to
sell, while traders purchase it for shops in town.
Paarivelan's Family:
 Paarivelan, along with his brother and brother-in-law, goes fishing in their catamaran. They
recently faced a storm, causing them to return late, which worried their family.
 The fish they catch is divided into four shares—one for each fisherman and the fourth share for
the equipment, including the catamaran, engine, and nets.
Catamaran and Equipment:
 The family has taken a bank loan to purchase an engine, which allows them to travel farther into
the sea and get a better catch.
Auctioning the Fish:
 The fish caught by the family is auctioned on the beach. The auction continues until noon, and
the money is divided among the fishermen and for equipment maintenance.
Monsoon Season:
 For about four months during the monsoon, the fishermen cannot go to sea as this is the fish
breeding season.
 During these months, the family borrows money from a trader, and in return, they are obligated
to sell their fish to him instead of holding an auction.
Challenges Faced:
 The lean monsoon months are financially challenging because the family has to rely on loans
from traders, which limits their income later.
 The village also suffered from the effects of the tsunami, which added to their difficulties.

Rural Livelihoods
Diverse Livelihoods:
 People in rural areas earn their living through various means, including farming and non-farm
activities.
Farming Activities:
 Farm work involves essential operations such as preparing land, sowing, weeding, and
harvesting crops.
 Rural life is closely tied to nature and specific seasons, with busy periods during sowing and
harvesting, and quieter times in between.
Regional Crop Variations:
 Different regions grow different crops based on climate and soil, yet rural communities share
similar life situations and challenges.
Dependence on Land:
 The ability to earn a living often depends on the land cultivated. Many rural workers depend on
this land as laborers.
Crop Production:
 Most farmers grow crops for personal consumption and for sale in the market.
 Some are forced to sell their produce to traders to repay debts incurred for loans.
Borrowing and Financial Strain:

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  Many families need to borrow money for farming activities or to survive during periods without
work.
 Financial dependency can lead to cycles of debt, especially among small farmers.
Economic Disparities:
 While some families thrive on large land holdings and diverse business activities, most small
farmers, agricultural laborers, fishing families, and craftspeople struggle to find enough work
year-round.
Employment Challenges:
 Many rural households do not find sufficient employment opportunities, leading to economic
vulnerability and reliance on seasonal work.

Struggles of Farmers
1. Natural conditions
o Dependence on Rainfall and Climate: Agriculture is heavily dependent on natural
factors like rainfall and climate. Inconsistent or extreme weather conditions can severely
impact farming.
o Droughts: During droughts, there is little or no rainfall, which prevents crops from
growing. This leaves farmers with no crops to feed their families or to sell for income.
o Excessive Rainfall: In contrast, too much rainfall can also damage crops. Floods or
heavy downpours can lead to waterlogged fields, ruining entire harvests and causing
financial strain for farmers.
2. Land ownership and seasonal farming
o Seasonal Nature of Agriculture: Farming is not a year-round occupation for all crops.
Most crops are grown during specific seasons, meaning farmers and laborers face periods
without work after the harvest.
o Impact on Laborers: Farmers with large landholdings often hire part-time laborers to
assist during the farming season. Once the crops are harvested, these laborers are left
without work and must find other sources of income.
o Struggles of Small Landowners: Farmers with small pieces of land often face limited
choices. They either consume the crops they grow within their family or sell a small
portion, but it’s often not enough to cover their living expenses, leading to financial
difficulties.
3. Loans and moneylending
o Need for Loans: When farmers do not earn enough or face crop failures, they take loans
from banks or moneylenders. To secure these loans, they often put their valuables as
collateral.
o Repayment Issues: The loans come with interest, and if the farmers are unable to repay
them, they risk losing the valuables they placed as security, such as land or jewelry.
o Impact of Technological Advancements: Modern agriculture requires investments in
new technologies, fertilizers, and seeds that promise better yields. However, many
farmers cannot afford these upgrades due to financial constraints.
o Consequences of Debt: The inability to repay loans and keep up with technological
advancements in farming leads to a cycle of debt, making it harder for farmers to sustain
their livelihood.

Definition:
Occupation: All the work done by people in completing a job for which they are paid is called their
occupation or profession and every occupation is important.
Livelihood: Livelihood means to get the basic necessities of life.
Poultry farming: Poultry farming breeding hens and ducks to sell their eggs.