Caste, land ownership and agricultural productivity in India: evidence from a large-scale survey of farm households

ABSTRACT

This article examines the relationship between caste, land ownership and agricultural productivity in India, utilising data from a large-scale survey of farm households. Access to resources like information, technology, inputs, markets, and support institutions are important for sustainable and inclusive growth of agriculture. The results indicate that socially disadvantaged households (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) have lower access to land and also other resources, but they produce more output per unit of land because they are more diversified towards high-value crops that generate more returns and are labour intensive. This calls for policy emphasis on crop diversification in the agricultural sector.

KEYWORDS:

• Environment (built and natural) – Agriculture
• Aid – Development policies
• Labour and livelihoods – Economics
• Governance and public policy
• South Asia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For more details on the 2012–13 survey see www.icssrdataservice.in/datarepository/index.php/catalog/74.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Md Riyazuddin Khan

Md Riyazuddin Khan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.

Mohammad Imdadul Haque

Mohammad Imdadul Haque is an Associate Professor in the College of Business Administration, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia.

Zeeshan

Zeeshan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics, Central University of Rajasthan, India.

Noorsaba Khatoon

Noorsaba Khatoon is a doctoral student in the Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.

Isha Kaushik

Isha Kaushik is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Post Graduate Government College, Chandigarh, India.

Karuna Shree

Karuna Shree is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, India.