Profile analysis of coconut climbers in Thiruvananthapuram district
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Date
1994
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Department Of Agricultural Extension, College Of Agriculture, Vellayani
Abstract
The study, “Profile of coconut climbers in Thiruvananthapuram district “ was carried out with the following specific objectives. 1. To assess the availability of labour for coconut climbing as perceived by the coconut farmers. 2. To analyse the socio-psychological and economic profile of agricultural labourers engaged in coconut climbing. 3. To study the employment and wage pattern of coconut climbers. 4. To identify the constraints experienced by the coconut climbers with a view to suggest welfare measures, if any The study was confined to Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala state. The total number of respondents for the study was 100 coconut farmers and 100 coconut climbers. Coconut farmers were selected using random sampling technique and the coconut climbers were selected using key informant technique. The study revealed that 52 per cent of the coconut farmers perceived the availability of coconut climbers as more than sufficient and 48 per cent perceived the availability of coconut climbers is not sufficient to meet their requirements. Majority of coconut climbers came under middle aged group with an average age of 38. More than 75 per cent of the climbers belonged to scheduled castes. Majority of the climbers had nuclear families with a family size of less than 5 members. On an average, the family educational status of the respondent was at primary school level. A great majority of them had a farm size of 6-15 cents, with low housing facilities. The experience of majority of climbers in their profession was found to be upto 15 years. There was some mobility of labour among coconut climbers. However, 55n per cent of them had low occupational mobility. The coconut climbers selected for the study had an average family annual income of Rs. 25055 and an average family expenditure of Rs. 23317. Even though their average savings was found to be Rs. 2483 per year majority of them saved only less than this amount. Similarly, a great majority of the climbers had indebtedness of only less than the average indebtedness of Rs. 668 in a year. Majority of the coconut climbers studied were having low political participation, low social participation, low economic motivation, low achievement motivation and low level of aspiration. On other hand, they had high cosmopolite orientation, high risk preference and possessed only less amount of traditional values related to agriculture. The attitude of the coconut climbers towards their profession was found to be favourable. Majority of the respondent climbers had only a limited knowledge about P.P measures in coconut. Similarly, they had only a very low awareness and utilization of welfare programmes. It was also found that, on an average, the coconut climbers were employed for 218 days in an year, with 164 days in coconut climbing. They received maximum number of days of employment during the month of March, May and February. The daily average wage rate of coconut climbers was Rs. 82.30 with a monthly income of Rs. 1496. They earned higher income during May, followed by March, February and April. Among the various constraints, ‘After attaining a certain age, even before becoming old, one cannot climb the palms’ and ‘No fixed income during rainy season’ were perceived by the coconut climbers as their major constraints.
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170691