MGNREGA: A STRATEGY TO OVERCOME LABOUR SHORTAGE IN AGRICULTURE

Abstract

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a flag ship programme of the government of India. It has two views among the farmers and labour in rural areas i.e., pessimistic and optimistic respectively. The data were collected during May to October, 2011 in Banda and Hamirpur district of Bundelkhand region, Uttar Pradesh. Interviewed 120 each small, medium and large farmer in three villages in each districts located in different distances. Thus, 60 farmers from each village have been selected randomly for the study purpose. Qualitative data were also collected through focus group discussion. Study shows that main cause of labour shortage is rural out-migration and MGNREGA work. The consequence of labour shortage in agriculture is changes in cropping pattern and land market. The farmers have adopted various strategies to overcome labour shortage in agriculture such as use of family labour, increased use of machinery and hired labour from outside the village. Farmers (especially small and medium farmers) unable to pay wage rate as equal to the MGNREGA wage rate due to low income from agriculture. As MGNREGA is a labour bank in the rural areas, these labour should involve in agricultural work in the field of farmers that the best strategy to overcome labour shortage in agriculture. Another strategy is implementation of cooperative farming in the study areas.