The majority of tribal and rural area dwellers, such as Gandhwani, are dependent on agriculture for their economic security. In recent times, it is observed that many farmers and laborers are leaving their respective villages and migrating to metropolitan cities in search of better job opportunities.
Reasons for Low Agricultural Income:
The several factors that contribute to poor incomes of farmers in rural areas. Gandhwani basically depends on rainfall and lack of irrigation, crops start to yield loss. Another problem is that the farmers are holding a small piece of land, which is difficult to cultivate enough crops to earn more income.
In addition, the minimum support prices of the yield in the market are usually low, the price of cultivating the crops, such as seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides, is too high, which makes it hard to cultivate the crops. The farmers are facing some problems, such as pests, diseases, poor soil, land erosion, climate change and low yields, which are more painful to the farmers.
Migration as a survival strategy:
Farmers are moving towards towns and cities because they can’t make enough money from farming to support their families and work as daily wage workers or in the construction and manufacturing industries. They move to make more money and support their families. But migration causes social and economic problems like families often break up, and a lack of workers may cause farming in rural areas to go down.
Effect on farming in rural areas:
When young people move to cities, it can cause less people available to work on farms in rural areas. less production on farms and loss of farmland. Women and older people often have to do the farming work because there aren’t enough resources or workers, which can be hard.
Possible Solution: There are a few things that can be done to stop people from moving because they don’t make enough money from farming:
- To low dependency on rainfall, provide irrigation systems.
- To help farmers earn money, through crop diversification and high-value crops.
- Help farmers access markets more easily and pay them more for their crops.
- Provide training to people about new farming technologies.
- Generate jobs in agricultural and associated sectors like dairy, poultry etc.
Conclusion: For many rural communities, migration occurs due to low agricultural income is a serious issue. Farmers will make more money and have fewer reasons to migrate if agricultural productivity is increased, market mechanisms become more powerful and farmers receive better support.
In addition to improving farmers’ livelihoods, enhancing rural agriculture will support long-term rural development and socio economic development.
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