Exploring the Opportunities and Constraints of Rural Livelihood: A Case Study of Small Farmers Engaged in Rice Cultivation in India

Abstract

Agriculture is a primary source of livelihood for more than 75% of the Assam’s population in Northeast India, however 98.9% of farmers belong to the category less than 1 to 2 hectares of land per family in Dibrugarh district of Assam. This research aims at improving livelihood of these farmers through exploring the opportunities and constraints of their resources. The study conducted 250 personal interviews with heads of households of small farmers cultivating rice (the staple food crop) who were chosen by the method of purposive sampling among three villages of Dibrugarh district. The data were collected by personal schedule along with observation, and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The results revealed that the main constraints were: irrigation and drainage problems, small size of the agricultural land, lack access to the inputs of production, low productivity, high loss of production, lack of access to finance, lack of practical skills training for modern agriculture and marketing, lack of social organisations. However the key opportunities were: depending on rainfed agriculture, high fertility of the soil, diversification of family income, high demand of the rice in the market, low illiteracy rate, forming a cooperative association and the homogeneity of population, which represents their strong cultural bond. The study concluded some recommendations: offering training and consulting services by the Agricultural Extension agency, establishing a good infrastructure and facilitating soft loans for agriculture and small business.