Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Agricultural Mechanisation and Changing Socioeconomic Status of Rural Labourer: a Study of Some Selected Areas in Bangladesh

M. H. Khan
Assistant Professor
Department of Rural Sociology, Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

M. S. lslam
Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

R. H. Sarwer
Research Associate
Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

This study was conducted to determine the impact of agricultural mechanisation on the socioeconomic status of rural labourers. Study areas included four villages from four Upazilas in Mymensingh, Netrokona. Gazipur and Tangail districts. Initially through PRA, four types of rural labourers based on principal economic activity and gender were selected and then a socioeconomic survey was conducted among 520 labourers households in selected villages during October 2001 to February 2002. Introduction of small scale rnechanisation improved cultivation power. and indirectly created diversified job opportunities for rural labourers. Working days and wage income irrespective of gender have increased after mechanisation. All these trends were more evident among non-farm labourers. Socio-structural condition and status of rural labourer have changed which were evident in family members' education, increased income and higher status of non- farm activities, increased women empowerment and decreased family size. Importance of kinship relationship and different aspects of informal traditionalism have declined and formal, contractual social relationships have become evident in rural areas. Mechanisation effects were more visible in sub-urban areas in comparison with those of rural areas.

Keywords: Agricultural Mechanisation, Non-farm activities, Socioeconomic status

Location: Mymensingh, Netrokona, Tangail and Gazipur area.

Start Date: 00-10-2001

End Date: 00-02-2002

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Social status

Objectives:

1) To determine the economic changes in rural labourers' life as an effect of agricultural mechanisation.

2) To determine the changes in socio-structural status of rural labourers after mechanisation.

Methodology:

For the purpose of the study, four districts namely Mymensingh, Netrokona, Tangail and Gazipur were selected and from each district, one Upazila namely Muktagacha, Netrokona Sadar, Ghatail and Sreepur and from each Upazila one village namely Nandibari, Borni, Badeparshi and Barmi were selected respectively. In selecting the study areas and target population, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method was applied during July to August, 2001. Transect walking, participatory social mapping, trend analysis, tirnelines, wealth ranking, gender analysis, focus group discussion, semi-structured interview were the major tools which were applied to conduct PRA. A socio-economic survey was followed in the study areas during October 200I to February 2002 to collect data and information. Among the study areas, in the context of communication, modern amenities and prevalence of non-farm activities, Barmi of Sreepur and Nandibari of Muktagacha were sub- urban and Borni of Netrokona Sadar and Badeparshi of Ghatail were basically rural in nature. These two types of areas were selected purposively for a comparative analysis of the impact of agricultural mechanisation in the context of two different socioeconomic conditions. Four categories of rural labourers who were mainly involved in farm and non-farm activities were selected. The nature of the categories of rural labourers was defined by considering who earned more than 50% of their household income from their respective employed works. Considering gender role and how labourers are involved in different activities, male labourers were categorized into farm labourer and non-farm labourer, and female labourers were categorized into women labourers and household women labourers. Women labourers constituted female- headed households who are basically distressed and household women labourers 'here the wives of farm or non-farm labourers and were also engaged in different IGAs. Following a stratified random sampling technique, 130 labourers households were selected from each village from four different categories and thus a total of 520 sample labourers households were selected from the study areas. For the present study, primary data of farm mechanisation, technological changes in crop production, cultural operation and post- harvest processing, labourers' involvement in farm and non-farm activities, their socioeconomic condition were collected in both peak and slack period during rabi and kharif seasons or Boro and A/non seasons. Following the objectives, a quasi-experiments I comparison between 'before and after' method was applied. By determining the intra and inter-generational socioeconomic changes in respondent labourers' condition, the changing forms and trends in different elements of the rural social structure were addressed. Most of . the respondents were selected purposively from the age group of 30-45 years as an assumption was made here that the previous generations of the respondents had pre-mechanised agricultural experience. So inferences about pre-mechanised socioeconomic status and livelihood of rural labourers' were possible to determine from their experiences.

Source of Information: Progress. Agric. 13 (1 & 2) : 163-171, 2002, ISSN 1017-8139

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Agricultural mechanisation has resulted in increased agricultural productivity which boosted up different non-farm activities as the emerging dominant economic sector in the study areas. It has opened a new horizon for the transformation of the society from traditionaIism to modernism. Developed communication system and informal urban sector enabled the rural labourers to migrate temporarily during slack period or other natural distress. Participation and growing social acceptance of women labourer in different IGAs at home and outside was found changing the traditional gender role scenario. Trends of modernisation were evident in different infrastructural development as well as in different socio- structural levels such as in increasing literacy rate. declining family size, contractual and formal social relationships, more access to information and different socio-politico- economic and health awareness. Most of these trends were more evident in sub-urban than rural areas. In the context of the findings of present study.

Knowledge Management: Journal