Some Economic Characteristics of Agricultural Households in India

Some Economic Characteristics of Agricultural Households in India

A recent report of National Sample Survey on ‘Some Characteristics of Agricultural Households in India’ is based on the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households conducted during January 2013 to December 2013 for the reference period: July 2012 – June 2013 (agriculture year). This survey was conducted in the rural areas of the country in two spells. It was spread over 4529 villages and covered 35200 households. Some of the key findings at the all-India level as obtained from this Survey are:

1. The number of agricultural households was 90.2 million and these comprise about 58% of the total estimated rural households of the country.
2. About 69 percent of the agricultural households possessed land less than 1 hectare. Only 0.4 percent of the agricultural households possessed land 10 hectares or more.
3. 92.6 percent of the agricultural households possessed some other type of land along with homestead land. 6.7 percent agricultural households possessed only homestead land and another 0.5 percent had only ‘other type of land’. Only 0.1 % of the agricultural households were landless.
4. Agricultural activity was reported to be the principal source of income for 68.3 percent of agricultural households (Cultivation (63.5 percent), Livestock activity (3.7 percent) and other agricultural activities (1.1 percent)). Wage/ salary employment was reported as the principal source of income by 22 percent of the agricultural households. ‘Non-agricultural enterprises’ was principal source of income for 4.7 percent of the agricultural households.
5. About 97 percent of the agricultural households in the country operated some land for agricultural activities during the 365 days prior to the date of survey.
6. About 44 % of the agricultural households had MGNREGS job card.
7. 12.3 % of the agricultural households did not possess any ration card at the time of the survey. 4.9 % of agricultural households possessed Antyodaya card and 36.4 % of agricultural households possessed BPL cards. Thus, quite a few people are below the poverty line.
8. As per the usual activity status, 38.2 percent of the members of agricultural households were self-employed (own account worker, employer or unpaid family worker) in agriculture during July 2012- December 2012. The share was 46.9 percent among the male members and 29.0 percent among female members.
9. As per the usual activity status, 34.5 percent of the members of agricultural households in the country were self-employed in agriculture during January 2013- June 2013. The share was 42.8 percent among the male members and 25.9 percent among female members.
10. Among the members of agricultural households, 87.2 percent of the persons aged 7 years or more reported same usual principal activity status during both the halves of the agricultural year. Of the persons who were self-employed in agriculture as per usual principal activity status during July 2012- December 2012, 84.9 percent remained in the same principal activity status during January 2013- June 2013. Of the remaining, 8.1 percent shifted to casual labour and 5.3 percent went out of labour force.
11. About 2 percent of the members aged 7 years and above from the agricultural households stayed away from their usual place of residence for more than 15 days in each of the two halves of the agricultural year.
12. The average monthly income per agricultural household during the agricultural year July 2012- June 2013 was ₹ 6426/-. The same was ₹ 6642/- and ₹ 6249/-, respectively, during July 2012- December 2012 and January 2013- June 2013.
13. Net receipt from farm business (cultivation and farming of animals) accounted for about 60 percent of the average monthly income per agricultural household during the agricultural year July 2012- June 2013. Nearly 32 percent of the average monthly income was contributed by income from wage/ salary.
14. The average monthly consumption expenditure per agricultural household during the agricultural year July 2012- June 2013 was ₹ 6223/-. The same was ₹ 6116/- and ₹ 6371/-, respectively, during July 2012- December 2012 and January 2013- June 2013.
15. It could be noticed that the average saving per agricultural household per month is very little i.e., it is ₹ 203/- during the study period.
16. Average net investment in productive assets per agricultural household during the   agricultural year July 2012- June 2013 was estimated as ₹ 513/-. The same was ₹ 556/- during July 2012- December 2012 and ₹ 469/- during January 2013- June 2013.