Labour Use in Agriculture-Case Studies of Tapioca and Paddy

Case Studies of Tapioca and Paddy K N Ninan The experience of the developed countries suggests that economic growth coincided with a shift of a significant proportion of the labour force from the agriculture to the non-agricultural sector The sluggish pace of growth of industrial employment coupled with high population growth rates in less developed countries has made it clear that for quite some time agriculture will have to continue to provide employment to many in LDCs The present paper discusses selected issues relating to labour use in agriculture, focusing specifically on tapioca and paddy crops which are extensively cultivated in the developing countries, with the help of farm level data pertaining to Kerala. In particular it examines the relationship between labour use on the one hand and yields, farm-size, crop-operations on the other; and also the question of labour productivity in agriculture.