Problem
Crop cultivation earns agricultural households less than their wages do
- National
- Rural
In NSO's 2019 survey (NSS 77th round, agricultural year July 2018–June 2019), an agricultural household earned an average of ₹10,218 a month. Wages were the largest source at ₹4,063 (39.8 per cent); net receipts from crop production were ₹3,798 (37.2 per cent), farming of animals ₹1,582 (15.5 per cent), non-farm business ₹641 and leasing out land ₹134. When imputed costs such as family labour are also deducted, crop income falls to ₹3,058 and total income to ₹8,337. These are averages for households meeting the survey's definition of an agricultural household — more than ₹4,000 of agricultural produce and a member self-employed in agriculture — so households living entirely on agricultural labour are outside them. This entry uses the 2019 survey; no later round is used here. Evidence confidence: High for 2018-19; the current position is not established.
This is the most specific entry on this branch of the catalogue. The evidence behind it is below.
Who is responsible
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare — Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare · Ministry or Department
- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation · Ministry or DepartmentConducts the Situation Assessment Survey through the National Statistical Office.
Evidence and sources
- NSS Report No. 587: Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land and Livestock Holdings of Households in Rural India, 2019 — PIB release · Official data or datasetMinistry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, 10 September 2021. NSS 77th round, rural India, agricultural year July 2018–June 2019. Gives average monthly income by source, indebtedness and holding-size distribution.
- NSS Report No. 587: Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land and Livestock Holdings of Households in Rural India, 2019 · Official data or datasetNational Statistical Office, September 2021. Highlights and Statements 4.9 (MSP awareness and sale), 4.11 (crop insurance), 4.12 (reasons for not insuring); indebtedness highlights (69.6% institutional, 20.5% moneylenders); technical advice highlights.
Connected problems
- Related to Close to half of India's workers still depend on agricultureFarm incomes and the continuing dependence of workers on agriculture describe the same rural economy from two sides.
Alongside this
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