IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT SCHEMES ON AVAILABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL LABOURS IN THE KARNATAKA STATE, INDIA - AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

B.N. VENU¹*, K.B. UMESH², T.M. GAJANA³, JAGANNATH OLEKAR^4
1Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, 560065, Karnataka
²Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, 560065, Karnataka
³ICAR - Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Hessaraghatta lake post, Bengaluru, 560 089, Karnataka
⁴Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, 560065, Karnataka
* Corresponding Author : gowdaregalia@gmail.com

Received : 27-08-2016     Accepted : 05-10-2016     Published : 01-11-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 53       Pages : 2739 - 2742
Int J Agr Sci 8.53 (2016):2739-2742

Keywords : Government Programs, Labour supply, Food expenditure, Migration, Backward bending, Transaction cost, Leisure, Availability
Academic Editor : Dr Sakamma S
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

This study investigates the labour supply behaviour of agricultural labourers at different wage rates. The objectives of this study are to test the Impact of rural development schemes on availability of agricultural labours supply and to observe agricultural labours responsiveness to changes in the wage rates by using 2013 cross-sectional data. The reason for sub-optimal utilization of labour offerings was the provision of food in the public distribution system, which upsurges the food availability and security for a month with only one or two person days of labour offering. If agricultural labourers were food secure, then they have every reason to prefer leisure. On demand side, most of the farmers also opinioned that, labour availability has reduced due to implementation of MGNREGA and migration of agricultural labour to other regions had a more significant role. In addition, in the rural areas, due to increased wages in the non-agricultural sector, there appears to be operation of backward bending supply curve of labour at two levels.