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Central Agricultural University, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, Umiam
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ThesisItem Open Access Jhumias of Manipur in North-East India: a livelihood analysis(College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, CAU-Imphal, Umiam, 2017-09) P., Punitha; Chauhan, J. K.Shifting cultivation also known as Jhum practised predominantly by North East Indian farmers. The people who practise Jhum are called as Jhumias. Due to the ill effects of Jhum cultivation, since 1950s, various schemes were implemented by Government of India to eradicate Jhum. The latest scheme completed was Watershed Development Project in Shifting Cultivation Area (WDPSCA).This study endeavours to explore, to what extent the level of attachment the Jhumias have towards Jhum as a livelihood, to what extent the Jhumias depend on other source of livelihood, factors affecting it and their constraints in diversification of livelihood. Keeping in view the above consideration the present research had been conducted with the objectives viz., to assess the place attachment of Jhumias towards Jhum as a livelihood, to analyse the livelihood diversification of Jhumias, to prioritise the constraints in livelihood diversification. Mixed method research design and multistage sampling technique was used in this study. Out of total 240 respondents selected for the study, 80 respondents were selected from WDPSCA and 160 respondents were selected from Non - WDPSCA. Place attachment scale with eighteen statements was developed to assess the place attachment of Jhumias towards Jhum as a livelihood. Simpson Diversity of Index was used to measure the level of livelihood diversification. The chi-square, correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the factors influencing livelihood diversification. The Garrett ranking technique were used to prioritise the constraints in livelihood diversification. The study revealed that majority (57%) of the respondents were found to exhibit medium level of place attachment towards Jhum as a livelihood. Analysis of livelihood diversification revealed that majority (60%) of respondents in WDPSCA found to exhibit low level of livelihood diversification where as in Non-WDPSCA majority (49.37%) of respondents found to exhibit medium level of livelihood diversification. 86.30 per cent and 73.80 per cent of respondents in WDPSCA and Non-WDPSCA respectively had farm as a primary livelihood source. Jhum income constitute the highest income source among the farm income in WDPSCA and Non-WDPSCA. The multiple linear regression analysis on the factors affecting livelihood diversification revealed that the overall model was fit with 'f' value significant at 1 percent level with R2 value of 0.364. The number of livestocks, training attended on farm activities were negatively affected the livelihood diversification at 1 per cent and 5 percent level of significance respectively. Market distance was positively affected the livelihood diversification at 1 per cent level of significance. Distance to Jhum field, distance to district head quarter, Jhum size was negatively affected the livelihood diversification at 1 per cent level of significance. 'Lack of market access' were the foremost infrastructural constraint expressed by the respondents of WDPSCA and Non-WDPSCA. 'Primary livelihood activities not leaving enough time to pursue diversification strategies' followed by inadequate experience in expected livelihood activity were the social constraint expressed by WDPSCA and 'lack of role model entrepreneur in my village' were the social constraint expressed in Non-WDPSCA. Less high yielding varieties for Jhum land were the technological constraint expressed by both WDPSCA and Non-WDPSCA. Livestock activities in a larger scale, off-farm agribusiness activities, common market place for cluster of villages for Jhumias can be promoted. Soil health and water management measures, problems in management of fruits, vegetables and spices should be identified, prioritised and disseminated by KVK, ICAR, CAU to the Jhumias of Manipur.ThesisItem Open Access Social networks of agricultural stakeholders on climate-smart agriculture in Meghalaya: a structural equation modelling(College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, CAU-Imphal, Umiam, 2017-12) Dympep, Alethea; Singh, Rajkumar JoshmeeClimate change has already significantly impacted agriculture and is expected to further impact directly and indirectly food production. Agriculture however is not just a victim of climate change; it is directly responsible for 10–12% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, to increase agricultural production without further increasing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities, ‘climate-smart agriculture’ (CSA) has been introduced. The scaling up of CSA practices will require appropriate institutional and governance mechanisms and understanding of individual behavioral intention to adopt CSA, to disseminate information, ensure broad participation and harmonize policies. Therefore, considering the above facts, the present study was conceptualized with the following objectives: (1) To identify social networks of agricultural stakeholders on performing climate-smart agriculture. (2) To analyze the mitigative and adaptive competency of identified social networks apropos of climate-smart agriculture. (3) To develop a structural equation model fitting climate-smart hill agriculture. (4) To advocate strategies on successful implementation of the recommendations on climate-smart hill agriculture. The hill state, Meghalaya, in which the three agro-climatic zones (ACZs) of the state were, selected purposively. Out of which one most agriculturally vulnerable Community and Rural Development (C&RD) block to climate change was selected from each ACZs. Following snowball sampling, ‘n’ agricultural stakeholders were identified and a cluster of 4 villages from each classified CRDB were selected. 180 farmers were randomly selected from the respective CRDB. In the Tropical ACZ, five stakeholders involved in climate change were identified of which NGOs were found to be the key stakeholder while in Sub-tropical and Temperate ACZ, thirteen stakeholders and eleven stakeholder were identified in which ICAR(NICRA) and DoP&ED, GoM were found to be the most important stakeholder in the ACZs respectively. On analyzing the social network of the stakeholders, Farmers in Tropical ACZ, GIZ in Sub-tropical ACZ and both Farmers and GIZ in Temperate zone were found to be the central actors in the network. DoA, GoM & KVK and m4agriNEI of CoHSc, Tura & NGOs were found to be structurally equivalent in Temperate ACZ while no structural equivalence was found between the stakeholders in Sub-tropical and Temperate ACZ. The cohesive density of farmers was found to highest in Tropical ACZ followed by in Sub-tropical and Temperate ACZ. No significant difference was found on the mitigative and adaptative competency level of the identified social networks of agricultural stakeholders in all the three ACZs.Using multinomial logistic regression, independent variables- age, landholding, social cohesiveness, cosmopoliteness, communication behaviour, subjective norms, risk perception and knowledge of CSA practices were found to significantly affect competency level of the farmers. Structural equation modeling was applied and a structural path model was developed in which exogenous variables-perceived adaptive capacity and subjective norms were found to be positively influencing CSA performance of the farmers while maladaptation was observed to have a negative influence. The major constraints expressed by the farmers were the lack of profit on adapting to CSA practices and lack of government support.ThesisItem Open Access A study on impact assessment of the employment and livelihood linked programmes in Manipur.(College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, CAU-Imphal, Umiam, 2016-11) Stina, Khumukcham; Devarani, L.In India, despite the impressive growth rates, poverty and unemployment remains widespread and deeply entrenched, especially in the rural areas. Among development schemes to eradicate poverty, generate employment and establish livelihood security implemented by the Government of India (GOI), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) are having special characteristics as these are employment and livelihood linked programmes targeting at reduction of rural poverty through provision of employment. The study was conducted in Imphal East and Churachandpur districts, to assess the impact of these employment and livelihood programmes so as to gain more comprehension on how far this flagship programmes, been able to comply with the promises made during their introduction. A total of 185 respondents comprising of 50 MGNREGA beneficiaries, 50 SGSY beneficiaries, 50 beneficiaries of both the programmes and 35 non beneficiaries were selected based on PPS. Data for the study consists of secondary data collected from various sources as well as primary data obtained from the respondents. For MGNREGA, though the demand for work was found increasing and the fund utilisation high, the percentage of work completed was low. The number of person days generated was also low on an average 46 days in Imphal East and 79 days in Churachandpur district. For SGSY, the financial utilization percentage was (86.55%) in Imphal East and (76.43%) in Churachandpur and physical performances were found to be in accordance with the fund having awareness. Majority of the beneficiaries had medium level of awareness on their respective programmes with many respondents not having awareness of basic provisions of the programmes. No significant change was observed in income level of the beneficiaries after MGNREGA, however, SGSY have contribute a significant increase in income of the respondents by 39.64%. In case of saving, all the beneficiaries have opened saving accounts in banks, however, they prefer saving in the informal saving groups rather than on banks. Significant changes were observed in expenditure pattern and material possession of the beneficiaries with the respondents under SGSY beneficiaries reporting highest positive change. No significant difference in extent of cosmopoliteness was observed among the different categories indicating that the programmes have insignificant impact on the level of cosmopoliteness of the beneficiaries. In case of livelihood security and empowerment, significant improvement was observed for the beneficiaries as compared with before joining the programme and with the non-beneficiaries. Overall, the impact on the beneficiaries of both the programmes and beneficiaries of SGSY were observed to be more favourable than that of MGNREGA beneficiaries. Non availability of 100 days of work, late payment of wages, under payment of wages, non-availability of tools and worksite facilities etc were the constraints perceived by the beneficiaries under MGNREGA. The constraints perceived by the functionaries of MGNREGA were scarcity of funds and non-acceptance of labour budget and failing to upload Management Information System (MIS) report timely. Constraints as per the beneficiaries under SGSY were complicated process in getting credit, long time period in getting credit, benefits of the program not read to the needed people etc. Delay in fund allocation, sudden formation of SHGs just to, less awareness and training programme were the major constraints as per the functionaries of SGSY. Many suggestions also have been voiced by the respondents to counter the constraints, but what is important is sincerity and dedication of all concerned that, the benefits of the programmes as it is meant out to be, reach the deserving beneficiaries, which require awareness and capacity building of the beneficiaries as well as functionaries, proper monitoring, timely and efficient planning and execution.ThesisItem Open Access A micro-level study on dimensions of emerging livelihood pattern of rural tribal youth in Tripura(College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, CAU-Imphal, Umiam, 2016-08) Bhattacharjee, Suchiradipta; Sarkar, AtanuFor the tribes of Tripura, resettlement drive to alien environment for substitution of jhum and transformation of land use pattern in the process have led to major restructuring in their occupational pattern. Under this emerging scenario, paying attention was felt crucial to the various factors and processes that either constrain or enhance poor people’s ability to make living sustainable. In this backdrop, the present ex-post facto study was undertaken during mid 2014 to mid 2015 in four Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) villages as selected from four blocks of first two tribal concentrated districts of the state viz. Dhalai and Gomati with the purpose to analyze and understand the emerging trends of livelihood vis-a-vis occupational pattern among the tribal youth, interplaying of various socio-economic and socio-personal factors as its possible causes, issues pertaining to gender dimensions in the whole process of emerging livelihood scenario, and handicaps being faced by the tribal youth in sustainably pursuing livelihood activities. For primary survey, 184 respondents were selected through multi-stage sampling as per differential resource endowment status, age group category and sex criteria as well. Salient findings suggested that: i) the majority of resource poor youth were engaged in low return non-remunerative sectors of occupations; ii) while less number of occupational activities were being pursued by the resource endowed youth compared to both of their older age counterparts, it was opposite for the respondents from resource poor category; iii) compared to both their two older age group counterparts, lesser diversification index and distribution of income proportion across lesser occupational means were found for the youth as a whole; iv) although, irrespective of resource endowment status, both size of land holding and asset endowment appeared as most important factors to influence occupational diversity, complex interplaying of various other socio-economic and socio-personal determinants, however, observed to be singularly and/or mutually acting upon occupational diversification; v) existence of no gender disaggregated difference in socio-economic and socio-personal characteristics of the youth respondents; vi) although their socio-economic and socio-personal features significantly differed with resource endowment status, no such difference was observed according to their differential spatial distributions among the young women; and vii) low risk bearing ability, absence of veterinary facilities, turn-off of agricultural sector to be non-remunerative one, inadequacy in vocational skill enhancement through organized training, and reduced mobility and migration to cities for occupational purposes specifically for women were the major constraints identified. Based upon the constraints perceived by the youth in pursuing livelihood choices, the recommendations the study were: i) elaborate institutional arrangement for enabling resource poor tribal youth to invest in natural resource potential based high return sectors through vocational skill building; ii) appropriate technology mediated intervention especially on land productivity enhancement through improved crop husbandry and promotion of integrated farming with incorporation of livestock, horticulture and/or fishery component(s) as per choice and local suitability; iii) provisioning of extensive veterinary health service network for timely preventive and curative measures of the livestock to boost up the backyard based small livestock production systems; and iv) enabling women, preferably in group, to set up cottage scale production/processing units using bamboo, canes, pineapple and its leaf fibre, rubber, fish, turmeric, ginger, broom grass, etc. through required capacity building and provisioning of buy back of the products by a designated state institution for organized marketing.
