Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707

A study on Occupational Status and Annual Income of Kolli Hills Tribal Farmers in Namakkal District of Tamil Nadu

Rajasekaran.R 1and V.Balamurugan2

Ph.D Research Scholar,1 Assistant Professor, 2 Department of Agricultural Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608 002 (Tamil Nadu), India E-mail:[email protected]

Abstract

This study was conducted in Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. The Malayali tribes of Tamil Nadu, who reside mostly in the forest of kolli hills in Namakkal Distrcit have rich cultural and agricultural heritage. The population of malayali tribes forms around 54.00 per cent of total schedule tribes in kolli hills. Namakkal district Among the seven taluks and fifteen blocks, higher population of tribals were noticed in Kolli hills. The study reveled that most of the tribal farmers (82.33 per cent) to had agriculture as primary occupation followed by agriculture as secondary occupation (17.67 per cent). In annual income nearly three-fifth of the respondents (49.00 per cent) had medium level of annual income. Key words: occupational status, annual income and tribal farmer Introduction The tribal people are economically backward and deprived of opportunities available in the cities. The Malayali tribes of Tamil Nadu, who reside mostly in the forest of kolli hills in Namakkal Distrcit have rich cultural and agricultural heritage. Malayali is one of the scheduled tribe of Tamil Nadu and the population of malayali tribes forms around 54.00 per cent of total schedule tribes in kolli hills. These tribes migrated from the plains of Kancheepuram area of Tamil Nadu and settled in the eastern ghat hills during 1960s (Vaidyanathan et al. 2013).

The incidences of poverty by social groups unfold the truth that there is higher concentration among the tribal population in both the tribal areas and rural tribal population of Tamil Nadu. The tribal people are economically backward and deprived of opportunities available in the cities. The annual report of the Ministry of Welfare, Government of India admits, “The scheduled tribe are one of the most disadvantaged sections of the society. This wide dispersal of scheduled tribe population in certain districts made it difficult for identifying area meant for providing special administration and development inputs in the state. In all the dispersal areas, scheduled tribe constitutes less than 1.00 per cent of the general population in the respective districts. (Planning Commission, Government of India Report 2011).

Volume IX Issue I JANUARY 2020 Page No : 176 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707

METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is the way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. It explains various steps done that are adopted by a researcher in conducting the research problem, along with the logic behind them. It is improver for the researcher to identify not only the research methods and techniques but also the methodology (Kothari, 2008). Tamil Nadu is one of the major states of the southern zone in India which consists of important tribal groups. This study was conducted in Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. Namakkal district was purposively selected because of the following reasons. According to the primary census abstract of the census of India 2011, among the 32 districts in Tamil Nadu, Namakkal district ranked fifth next to the Nilgiris, Dharmapuri, Thiruvannamalai and Salem districts with respect to the proportion of scheduled tribal people to the overall population of the state. Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu is comprised of seven taluks namely Namakkal, Rasipuram, Tiruchengode, Paramathi velur, Kolli hills, Sendamangalam and Komarapalayam and fifteen blocks namely Namakkal, Rasipuram, Tiruchengode, Paramathi velur, Kolli hills, Sendamangalam, Vennandur, Mohanur, Kabilarmalai, Mallasamudram, Namagiripet, Erumaipatti, Elachipalayam, Puduchatram and Pallipalayam. Among the seven taluks and fifteen blocks, higher population of tribals was noticed in Kolli hills. Hence, Kolli hill, a small mountain range which is a part of eastern Ghats was purposively selected for this present study. A sample of three hundred respondent’s tribal farmer was selected by random sampling procedure. The rate was collected through structured interview schedule. Percentage analysis was carried out to study the occupational status and annual income of kolli hills tribal farmer in namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. Measurement of occupational status and annual income

1. Occupational status

Occupational status was operationalised as the profession in which an individual spends much of his time, to earn money and resources as a livelihood to maintain himself and his family. The scoring procedure followed by Chigasil Sangma (2017) was used for this study.

S. No. Category Score 1. Agriculture as a primary occupation 2 2. Agriculture as a secondary occupation 1

2. Annual income

Annual income was operationalised as the net income of the respondent and his family, for a year included from main and subsidiary occupations. The scoring procedure followed by Poovarasan (2018) was adopted. One score was assigned to every thousand rupees of annual income.

Volume IX Issue I JANUARY 2020 Page No : 177 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707

FINDING AND DISCUSSION

Occupational status

The distribution of respondents according to their occupational status is present in Table-1

Table-1. Distribution of respondents according to their occupational status (n =300) S. No. Category Number Per cent Agriculture as primary 1 Occupation 247 82.33 Agriculture as 2 secondary Occupation 53 17.67 Total 300 100.00

It can be observed from Table-1, that most of the respondents (82.33 per cent) were found that agriculture as their primary occupation and only a very small proportion of the respondents (17.67 per cent) fell under agriculture as secondary occupation. It could be concluded that majority of the respondents depended only on agriculture for their family income and also availability of occupation other than agriculture is very rare in this area. This result is in agreement with the results of Poovarasan (2018)

Annual income

The distribution of respondents according to their annual income is presented in Table-2.

Table-2 Distribution of respondents according to their annual income (n =300)

S. No. Category Number Per cent 1 Low 95 31.67 2 Medium 147 49.00 3 High 58 19.33 Total 300 100.00

Volume IX Issue I JANUARY 2020 Page No : 178 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707

It could be observed from the table 2 that nearly half of the respondents (49.00 per cent) possessed medium level of annual income, followed by 31.67 per cent of the respondents had low level of annual income and 19.33 per cent of the respondents had high level of annual income. The reason for medium level of annual income was due to the facts that majority of the respondents were engaged in farming alone. This finding is in line with the findings of poovarasan (2018).

CONCLUSION

The finding of the study leads to the conclusion that the tribal farmer was found to that agriculture as primary occupation and medium level of annual income. Hence, efforts should be taken to improve their knowledge through farm and home visits, film shows, exhibitions, and conducting more number of training programmers in the village with special emphasis on skill orientation, programme to tribal farmers.

REFERENCES

Chigasil Sangma, M. 2017. A Study on Knowledge and Adoption of Indigenous Paddy Cultivation and Dairy Management Practices Among Tribal Farm Women of West Garo Hills District of Megalaya, Unpublished M.Sc., (Ag.), Thesis, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar.

Kothari, C.R. 2008. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques, New Age International Publishers, New Delhi.

Poovarasan, K. 2018. Knowledge and Adoption of Indigenous Cultivation Practices Among Tribal Farmers in Kolli Hills, Unpublished M.Sc., (Ag.), Thesis, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar.

Vaidyanathan, D., Salai Senthilkumar, M.S. and M. Ghouse basha, 2013. “Studies on Ethno Medicinal Plants used by Malayali Tribals in Kolli Hills of Eastern Gates Tamil Nadu, India”.

Volume IX Issue I JANUARY 2020 Page No : 179