People whether in cities or in rural areas have to find various means to earn their living. It would be difficult to survive if there is no regular income for the people. We see people doing different kinds of jobs around us. Some jobs pay good money while others do not. In this module, we would take a look at the various livelihoods that are supported by the villages and the towns. As you can see a number of activities take place in the village. Some of these help villagers earn their livelihood. Let us learn more about rural livelihood.

Case Study Of Rural Livelihood

Now let us understand through a case study about the rural livelihood village of Kalpattu, and see the kind of lifestyle that exists in the village. Kalpattu is a village that's close to the sea coast in Tamil Nadu. People here do many kinds of work. As in other villages, here too there is non-farm work such as making baskets, utensils, pots, bricks, bullock-carts, etc.

There are people who provide services such as blacksmiths, nurses, teachers, washermen, weavers, barbers, cycle repair mechanics, and so on. There are also some shopkeepers and traders. In the main street, which looks like a bazaar, you see a shop that sells fruits. In the corner, there is a Kirana shop, which provides all the household items to the people. In the village, you also find Ramu the carpenter, and Mohan the cobbler.

Two families earn a living by washing clothes. There are some people who go to the nearby town to work as construction workers and lorry drivers. The village is surrounded by low hills. Paddy is the main crop that is grown in irrigated lands. Most of the families earn a living through agriculture. There are some coconut groves around. Cotton, sugar cane, and plantain are also grown, and there are mango orchards.

Rural Livelihood: Types Of Farmers

Now let us look at three different types of farmers in a village. There are differences in the incomes of the various categories of the farmers in the village.

Large farmers have good incomes and live comfortably, while middle farmers have moderate incomes.

Small farmers have very little land and are the victims of various kinds of loans. They generally have to sell their produce to traders, from whom they borrow the money. These small farmers have to supplement their income by working in the lean season of agriculture. They try to find work in the nearby towns and cities.

Others who do not have any land are called landless laborers. About 80% of the population is either small farmers or landless laborers, there are only a few, who come in the category of middle and large farmers.

Apart from farming, there are also other occupations that are pursued in most villages. People in rural areas also depend upon the collection from the forest, animal husbandry, dairy produce, fishing, etc. Also, people pursuing different professions like teaching, doctor, etc are also found in the villages. Thus in the village, both farming and non-farming activities form sources of income.

The biggest occupation in the village remains to farm. Most of the people in the village are farmers. But not all of them cultivate their own fields. A number of people do not own their own land but work as landless laborers in the fields of the rich farmers. These large farmers own lands of more than 5 hectares and generally hire people to cultivate the land who are paid in cash or kind. At times, they also rent their lands to other farmers. They have a big pucca house and live a life of comfort.

Subsistence farming

Some farmers are farmers, who own land between two to five hectares. Such families generally grow crops for themselves and their families. This kind of farming is known as subsistence farming.

There are also some small farmers, who own land less than two hectares. It becomes difficult for them to make both ends meet from their very few cultivations. They have to borrow money or seeds to cultivate their fields.

After harvesting most of the crops goes in the settlement of the loan. With the little that is left the family survives for a few months. For the other months of the year, they have to find other works to supplement their work. Some even migrate to cities to do odd jobs like rickshaw pulling, daily wage labor.