Relationship of Profile Characteristics of Farmers with Occupational Diversification

Author: Debi Kalyan Jayasingh and Bishnupriya Mishra

Journal Name:

Download PDF

Abstract

The increasing uncertainties surrounding agriculture and related sectors have raised concerns about the sustainability of farming communities, prompting a shift towards occupational diversification. While diversification can provide additional income sources, its effectiveness largely depends on the individual characteristics of farmers, influencing their decision-making in this regard. This highlights the necessity to examine farmers' current conditions, specifically in terms of their socio-economic profiles, and to analyze the potential connections to their diversification efforts. The research was conducted in Khordha district, Odisha, utilizing an ex-post facto design. A sample of 240 farmers was selected from eight villages through a multi-stage random sampling method. Data was collected via personal interviews using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. Occupational diversification was assessed through Simpson’s index, alongside statistical measures such as mean and standard deviation. A significant proportion of respondents were middle-aged (37.50%) and earned between Rs. 50,001 and Rs. 1,00,000 annually (64.17%), with most possessing a medium level of education (39.58%) and belonging to average-sized families (48.33%). Participants exhibited moderate levels of experience in farming (47.08%) and non-farm activities (46.67%), alongside varying degrees of achievement motivation (40.00%) and other factors. The majority demonstrated a moderate degree of occupational diversification (48.75%). Correlation analysis inferred significant correlations with factors like age, family size, annual income, credit orientation and media exposure to that of occupational diversification. The study suggests focusing on improving these key variables to enhance the overall situation of occupational diversification among farmers

Keywords

Profile, characteristics, correlation, occupations, diversification

Conclusion

The study has provided valuable insights into the socio-economic profiles of farmers in Khordha district. The findings indicate that the majority of farmers are middle-aged, hold a medium level of education, belong to moderately sized families, and earn an annual income ranging from Rs 50,001 to Rs 1,00,000. Furthermore, most respondents engage in one to two non-farm activities and display medium levels of farm experience, achievement motivation, credit orientation, extension participation, mass media exposure, and market access. These data suggest that farmers predominantly operate at a moderate level across these parameters, indicating that there is considerable potential for improvement to achieve optimal outcomes in areas such as age and family size.Additionally, the analysis of the relationship between farmers’ characteristics and their degree of occupational diversification reveals significant correlations with factors like age, family size, annual income, credit orientation and media exposure. Enhancing these variables could foster greater occupational diversification. In contrast, other factors were found to lack any association with diversification, indicating their independence from this phenomenon. These findings will inform policy discussions aimed at rural development

References

-

How to cite this article

Debi Kalyan Jayasingh and Bishnupriya Mishra (2023). Relationship of Profile Characteristics of Farmers with Occupational Diversification. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(7): 428-435