5735
Work Participation in Cultural Operations of Rice Farming by Tribal
and Non-Tribal labourers in Wayanad district :
A Comparative Analysis
P.M. vishnu Narayanan1 and A. Anilkumar2
ABSTRACT
Rice is a traditional staple food crop of India, having high cultural and ecological
significance in the present global scenario. Tribal labourers in Wayanad district of Kerala
had been the traditional labourers in rice farming. The consequent migration of non-tribals
to Wayanad district of Kerala had been changed the demographic and cultural entity
of the district. The present study was conducted in Wayanad district to compare the
work participation between tribal and non- tribal labourers. Twenty tribal and non-tribal
labourers were selected from each selected panchayats and a total of one hundred and
twenty respondents were included in the study. A well-structured interview schedule was
used for collecting the data from the respondents. The data were tabulated and inferences
were drawn after appropriate statistical analysis. The results show that majority of the
tribal labourers had high work participation than non-tribals. While comparing based on
gender, female labourers had high work participation than male labourers both in the
case of tribal and non-tribal labourers.
Keywords : Rice farming,Work participation, Tribal labourers, Wayanad.
1-Meladath House, Valiparambu, Puthoor, Kottakkal, Malappur District, Kerala - 676 503 and 2. Dean, Kerala
Agricultural University, Vellayani - 695 522 , Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Received : 07-09-2016; Accepted : 13-01-2017
INTRODUCTION
Wayanad was traditionally one
of the important rice growing districts
of Kerala. Consequent to increase in
population as a result of migration from
north Malabar and central Travancore,
cropping pattern in the district had
changed in favour of cash crops and
other plantations. Wayanad is the
district having highest concentration of
tribespeople in Kerala (GOI, 2011). These
tribespeople were traditional labourers in
rice farming since time immemorial.
Most of the rice farmers prefer
tribal labourers to work in their fields,
as they are experts in indigenous
agricultural practices and possess
rich experience in various aspects of
cultivation. As population increased in
the district due to migration, non-tribal
Journal of Extension Education
Vol. 28 No. 4, 2016
DOI:https://doi.org/10.26725/JEE.2016.4.28.5735-5739
5736
people also stared working as labourers.
Comparative analysis of tribal and non-
tribal labourers will help us to know the
details of work participation in different
operations of rice farming and other
social dynamics.
METHODOlOGy
The study was carried out in
the Wayanad district of Kerala state in
India. Wayanad district was purposively
selected for the study, since this district
has the highest concentration of
tribespeople. Mananthavady, Sulthan
Bathery and Vythiri are the three
taluks in Wayanad district. From each
taluk, one panchayat having highest
population was purposively selected for
the study. From each selected panchayat
one padashekharam with highest area
was selected. From each selected
padashekharam twenty tribal labourers
and twenty non-tribal labourers
were selected, at random. Thus, 120
respondents formed the sample of study.
Data were collected using a pre-tested
interview schedule and the statistical
analysis used included in this study
were percentage analysis and Krushkal
– Wallis test. Work participation was
studied on three dimensions viz., extent
of participation in different operations of
rice farming, work participation based
on performance and work participation
based on gender.
Table 1.
Extent of Work Participation in Different Operations of Rice Farming.
(n=120)
Sl.No. Operations
Tribal labourers
(n=60)
Non-tribal labourers
(n=60)
No. % No. %
1. Land preparation 56 93 54 90
2. Nursery management 54 90 58 96
3. Transplantation 42 70 24 40
4.
Intercultural
Operations
49 81 48 80
5. Water management 37 61 35 58
6. Harvesting 55 91 48 80
7. Postharvest
Management
42 70 40 66
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5737
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
From Table 1, it can be understood
that the tribal labourers’ participation in
various operations of rice farming was
higher, especially in land preparation
(93 per cent), nursery management (90
per cent), transplantation (70 per cent)),
intercultural operations (81 per cent),
Table 2.
Work Participation Based on Performance
(n=120)
Sl.
No.
Category Score Range
Tribal
labourers
(n=60)
Non -Tribal
labourers (n=60)
No. % No. %
1. Low 17 to 21 17 28 26 43
2. High 21-35 43 72 34 57
3. Average score 21.66(88.31) 21 (74.9)
harvesting (91 per cent), and postharvest
management (70 per cent).
On the other hand, the non-tribal
labourers had a higher participation in
operations such as land preparation (90
per cent), nursery management (96 per
cent), intercultural operations (80 per
cent), and harvesting (80 per cent).
Kruskal Wallis = 14.956 (p= 0.0006 )
CD( .05) for 60,60 = 18.989
(CD- critical difference)
Work participation based on
performance
A perusal of the table reveals
that majority (72 per cent) of the tribal
labourers had high work participation
and only 28 per cent of them had low
work participation. The non-tribal
labourers showed similar kind of work
participation.
Kruskal – Wallis test was done to
analyse the significant difference between
work participation based on performance
by tribal and non-tribal labourers.
By comparing the average scores
of work participation it can be seen that
there is no significant difference between
the average score of work participation
based on performance between tribal
and non-tribal labourers.
Tribal labourers showed a higher
level of work participation compared to
non-tribal labourers. This result was
in line with the findings of Goswami
et al. (2006).Tribal labourers were the
traditional workers in the rice tracts of
Wayanad. They were familiar with all
the operations in rice farming. Therefore,
it can be inferred that work participation
Work Participation in Cultural Operations of Rice Farming by Tribal and Non-Tribal Labourers in Wayanad district :
A Comparative Analysis
5738
was more among tribal population than
the non-tribal population.
High preference of tribal labourers
than non-tribal labourers by farmers,
might be because of their rich experience
in rice farming possessed by them
and they are possibly less assertive in
demanding higher wages.
Table3.
Work Participation Based on Gender
Sl.
No.
Operations
Tribal labourers
(n=60)
Non-tribal labourers
(n=60)
Male
(n=30)
Female
(n=30)
Male
(n=30)
Female
No. % No. % No. % (n=30) %
1. Land preparation 30 100 26 86 29 97 25 83
2. Nursery
management
26 89 27 90 28 93 30 100
3. Transplantation 12 40 30 100 9 30 15 50
4. Intercultural
Operations
22 73 27 90 22 73 26 87
5. Water
management
22 73 15 50 20 67 15 50
6. Harvesting 27 90 28 93 20 67 28 93
7. Postharvest
management
18 60 24 80 15 50 25 83
Work Participation Based on Gender
Upon scrutinizing Table 3, it can
be understood that land preparation
(100 per cent), harvesting (90 per cent)
and nursery management (89 per cent)
are the important operations done by
the male tribal labourers. Whereas
transplantation (100 percent), harvesting
(93 per cent), nursery management (90
per cent), intercultural operations (90 per
cent), land preparation (86 per cent) and
postharvest management (80 per cent)
are the important operations carried out
by the female tribal labourers.
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5739
In case of non-tribal labourers,
land preparation (97 per cent) and
nursery management (93 per cent) are
the important operations performed
by male non-tribal labourers. Whereas
land preparation (83 percent), nursery
management (100 percent), intercultural
operations (87 per cent), harvesting (93
per cent) and post harvest management
(83 per cent) are the important operations
done by the female non-tribal labourers.
From Table 3, it could be inferred
that tribal labourers had higher work
participation compared to non-tribal
labourers, in the case of both male and
female. The female labourers had more
work participation compared to the male
labourers. This result is in line with the
findings of Kumar & Nag (2004).
Tedious work like transplantation,
intercultural operations etc., were
carried out by the women labourers.
Whereas the ‘masculine’ operations such
as land preparation was handled by male
labourers. Interestingly, in rice farming,
women labourers are the least paid
compared to male labourers.
CONClUSION
From the study, it can be
concluded that tribal labourers had high
work participation compared to the non-
tribal labourers. Tribal and non-tribal
labourers showed high participation
in practices such as, land preparation
and nursery management. Women
labourers were subjected to do work
with more drudgery like, transplanting,
intercultural operations, harvesting etc.,
and women labourers showed higher
work participation compared to male
labourers. The extension professionals
and policy makers should take note of
the results of the study while formalating
strategies to sustain rice production in
the state.
REFERENCES
GOI. (2011). General Population
Table, Kerala Part. Directorate of
Census Operation, Census of India,
Government of India, 2011
Goswami, M., Sharma, P.J., Mipun, B.S.,
& Sarma, P.C. (2006). Women in
Agriculture: A Case Study of Mishing
Tribe. In: Deb, B.J. and Ray, B.D.
(eds.), Changing Agricultural Sceanario
in North-East India. Concept Publishing
Company, New Delhi, pp. 301-312.
Kumar, P.N. & Nag, A. (2004).
Drudgery, Accidents and Injuries in
Indian Agriculture. Retrieved from
h t t p s : / / w w w . r e s e a r c h g a t e . n e t /
publication/8577770_Drudgery_
Accidents_and_Injuries_in_Indian_
Agriculture.
Work Participation in Cultural Operations of Rice Farming by Tribal and Non-Tribal Labourers in Wayanad district :
A Comparative Analysis