The economic and social conditions of Pakistani Basmati Rice Farmers

In most developing countries the lack of resources, high costs, and limited diversified income sources are among the major factors that affect small-scale farming households' ability to earn an income, reproduce and be food secure. By using a strategy of income diversification and the use of cash...

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Main Author: Valter, Sofia
Format: H2
Language:Inglés
Swedish
Published: SLU/Dept. of Rural Development and Agroecology 2020
Subjects:
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author Valter, Sofia
author_browse Valter, Sofia
author_facet Valter, Sofia
author_sort Valter, Sofia
collection Epsilon Archive for Student Projects
description In most developing countries the lack of resources, high costs, and limited diversified income sources are among the major factors that affect small-scale farming households' ability to earn an income, reproduce and be food secure. By using a strategy of income diversification and the use of cash crops in agricultural production can be a resourceful way for a sustainable livelihood and a reduced risk of income variability for small-scale farmers. This study aims to investigate the status of small-scale farming households' economic conditions for earning an income from agricultural production to obtain food security. Including the determinants of basmati rice production for farmers located in the region of Punjab in rural Pakistan. The study is based on a household survey of 152 households conducted by the international help-organization Oxfam in Punjab, Pakistan. The result showed that agricultural production is the main source of income for farmers. The farmers are growing various crops, raising different kinds of livestock, taking seasonal work, providing other farm-related activities, that result in a higher ability to become food secure. The main activity for the male farmers was agricultural and for the female unpaid domestic work. The women spend 4 hours (per day) more on unpaid work than the male farmers spend on agricultural work. 3 percent of the farmers within this study base all their income on basmati rice production. This concludes a low income and with a low purchasing power, a large household size with several individuals dependent in the household. The farmers that only produce basmati rice are less likely to become food secure than the farmers that diversify agricultural production. When it comes to reaching food security for the small-scale farmers of Punjab, Pakistan, the result specifies that for the farmers that based 50 percent or less on basmati-rice production were more likely to be food secure than the farmers that based all of their income from this source. The diversification of farmers' income from agricultural production, several cattle, and the aspect of female household members undertaking paid work made the farmers more secure in case of fluctuation in the market and in case of spoiled harvest.
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spelling RepoSLU160412020-10-10T01:01:25Z The economic and social conditions of Pakistani Basmati Rice Farmers Valter, Sofia food security household income livelihood Pakistan Punjab small scale farmer In most developing countries the lack of resources, high costs, and limited diversified income sources are among the major factors that affect small-scale farming households' ability to earn an income, reproduce and be food secure. By using a strategy of income diversification and the use of cash crops in agricultural production can be a resourceful way for a sustainable livelihood and a reduced risk of income variability for small-scale farmers. This study aims to investigate the status of small-scale farming households' economic conditions for earning an income from agricultural production to obtain food security. Including the determinants of basmati rice production for farmers located in the region of Punjab in rural Pakistan. The study is based on a household survey of 152 households conducted by the international help-organization Oxfam in Punjab, Pakistan. The result showed that agricultural production is the main source of income for farmers. The farmers are growing various crops, raising different kinds of livestock, taking seasonal work, providing other farm-related activities, that result in a higher ability to become food secure. The main activity for the male farmers was agricultural and for the female unpaid domestic work. The women spend 4 hours (per day) more on unpaid work than the male farmers spend on agricultural work. 3 percent of the farmers within this study base all their income on basmati rice production. This concludes a low income and with a low purchasing power, a large household size with several individuals dependent in the household. The farmers that only produce basmati rice are less likely to become food secure than the farmers that diversify agricultural production. When it comes to reaching food security for the small-scale farmers of Punjab, Pakistan, the result specifies that for the farmers that based 50 percent or less on basmati-rice production were more likely to be food secure than the farmers that based all of their income from this source. The diversification of farmers' income from agricultural production, several cattle, and the aspect of female household members undertaking paid work made the farmers more secure in case of fluctuation in the market and in case of spoiled harvest. Jordbruket är en grundläggande inkomstkälla för småskaliga bönder i utvecklingsländer och har en nyckelroll för att trygga böndernas livsmedelsförsörjning och generera inkomst. Men produktionen räcker sällan för att undvika hunger då begränsade resurser och höga utgifter påverkar möjligheten att försörja hushållet. Dessa faktorer påverkar böndernas förmåga att upprätthålla en hållbar livsstil. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka levnadsförhållandena hos småskaliga bönder från regionen Punjab i Pakistan och deras ekonomiska förutsättning att skapa sig en inkomst från basmatirisproduktion. Studien är baserad på en enkätundersökning av 152 hushåll utfärdad av den internationella hjälporganisationen Oxfam under 2019. Resultatet från denna granskning indikerade att 60 procent av de småskaliga bönderna i Punjab, Pakistan baserade 50 procent eller mindre av den totala inkomsten från basmatirisproduktionen. Bönderna producerade i snitt 5 ton basmatiris per säsong på 2 hektar mark. Riset såldes i snitt för 0,22 euros per kilo och kostnaden för att producera basmatiris var i genomsnitt 570 euro. Nettoinkomsten från basmatirisproduktion resulterade därav i 524 euro per hushåll och år, vilket motsvarar en sjättedel av medelinkomsten i landet. Studiens resultat visar att bönderna odlar fler grödor utöver basmatiris, samt att de föder upp boskap, tar säsongsarbete, samt tillhandahåller andra jordbruksrelaterade verksamheter. Diversifieringen av inkomstkällor resulterar i en tryggare ekonomisk situation för bönderna. 3 procent av bönderna i denna studie baserade hushållets totala inkomst från basmatirisproduktionen. Slutsatsen till denna studie är att de bönder som diversifierar sina inkomstkällor har mindre risk att hamna i fattigdom, hunger och undernäring. SLU/Dept. of Rural Development and Agroecology 2020 H2 eng swe https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/16041/
spellingShingle food security
household
income
livelihood
Pakistan
Punjab
small scale farmer
Valter, Sofia
The economic and social conditions of Pakistani Basmati Rice Farmers
title The economic and social conditions of Pakistani Basmati Rice Farmers
title_full The economic and social conditions of Pakistani Basmati Rice Farmers
title_fullStr The economic and social conditions of Pakistani Basmati Rice Farmers
title_full_unstemmed The economic and social conditions of Pakistani Basmati Rice Farmers
title_short The economic and social conditions of Pakistani Basmati Rice Farmers
title_sort economic and social conditions of pakistani basmati rice farmers
topic food security
household
income
livelihood
Pakistan
Punjab
small scale farmer