A Study on Socio Economic Conditions of Agricultural Labourers in Sawyerpuram Panchayat in Thoothukudi District

Abstract

The agricultural labourers are mostly unorganized.  The demand for agricultural labour is seasonal and depends upon the size of holdings and the types of crop.    Abundant flow of manpower has made them weak in their bargaining power and can’t  fight for their rights. The wages of agricultural labourers are very low compared to other wages. They do not have permanent work. Most of them are either unemployed or underemployed. They do not have any organization. However agricultural labourers are getting poor wages. Agricultural labourers who are mostly landless and form a significant section of rural society mainly depend on wage employment in agriculture. Their income had always been meager, resulting in poor living and heavy indebtedness. So the socio-economic conditions of the agricultural labourers are very poor. The prevailing wage rate is not sufficient for maintaining their minimum standard of living. The agricultural labourers are unable to save since they are in cutter poverty very few save negligible amount and they make use of banks and post office for their savings. The study reveals that, the living style of agricultural labour households with larger family size gives us not satisfactory and also the socio economic conditions of agricultural labour households are very poor.