A Study on Farmers Perspective towards Agriculture in the last five decades in the state of Assam

Abstract

A lack of approach towards agricultural activities can be observed in the newlinerural areas of Assam despite having economic crisis at the household level. While the newlinenotion of disenchantment of farmers towards the profession and the likelihood of many newlinefarmers willing to leave agriculture has caught steam in the country, considering how newlineimportant agriculture is to the lives and livelihood of rural population in Assam the newlinepresent study was taken up to develop insights into the reasons behind decline in newlinepreference of the farmers in Assam to continue performing agriculture as their primary newlinelivelihood activity. This study proposes that farmers psychologically constituted newlineattitude, values and goals towards life domains shall help us understand the foundational newlinebasis of preferences and choices of farmers to engage in agriculture as a profession and newlinefor fulfillment lifestyle goals under changed circumstances to perform agriculture as a newlinelivelihood. The present study was conducted in five districts across Assam, viz., Jorhat, newlineMorigaon, Barpeta, North Lakhimpur, and Cachar. Data was mainly collected through newlinepersonal interview channels, and employing psychometric assessment techniques - newlineLikert-scale and Q-methodology. Multi-stage purposive and random sampling newlinetechniques was used to draw out a sample of 400 respondents proportionately from newlinethree stratums based on age categories. A purposively drawn sub-sample of respondents newlinewas used for Q-study. Cluster analysis and factor analysis were used for interpretation newlineof the data. Other appropriate analytical tools were also used for analysis of data. newlineThe study revealed that although food production was simply seen as a newlinemeans to meet a minimum level of subsistence through collective action of family newlinemembers during phase 1, the farmers did not face economic crisis at household level. newlineFarming was more about maintenance of traditional rural/agricultural values, than newlineeconomic rationality and modern technological innovations had very little importance newlinein farming. Farming was mainly constrai...