Wage Rates of Agricultural Labourers in Kerala

THE behaviour of the wage rates of agricultural labourers in Kerala has attracted particular attention in recent years. According to a comparative study of wage rate movements in the IADP districts in various states between 1962- 63 and 1967-68, daily real wage rate recorded the maximum percentage increase in the Alleppey and Palghat districts of Kerala, although the growth of agricultural production associated with the Green Revolution has been much greater in the IADP districts of other states like Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. 1 The purpose of this article is to go in detail into the level, fluctuations and trend of wage rates for agricultural labourers in the whole of Kerala to see to what extent the phenomenon observed in the two IADP districts obtained in the other districts of the state.