Living Standard Under Settled and Shifting Cultivation: A Study on Hill Agriculture of Assam

Abstract

The present study was undertaken in the hill zone of Assam which comprised of Karbi Anglong and North Cacher Hill districts. Both the production systems of settled and shifting cultivation are followed in the zone. The study was based on primary data of 200 sample households out of which 100 sample households followed shifting cultivation and the rest 100 sample households followed settled cultivation. The sample households were selected by using multistage random sampling procedure and selected farmers were categorized into three size groups based on area under settled and shifting cultivation using cumulative root frequency rule. Data pertained to the year 1999-2000 and were collected from the sample households by interview method using structured schedules. Disparity index, Sen's poverty measure, head count ratio and Kaur and Singh's poverty measures were applied in the present study to measure living standard of farm households. Results showed that female male disparity in literacy was more among the sample farmers of Karbi Anglong district than North Cacher Hill district. The percent of people lived below poverty line based on Sen's poverty measure was also more under shifting cultivation than settled cultivation. The percent of people lived below poverty line based on expenditure on food, clothing and housing was more than that of poverty based on food expenditure only. The percent of people lived below poverty line based on this measure was comparatively more under shifting cultivation than settled cultivation.