A study into present status and future strategies for marginal and small land holders in Punjab

The marginal and small land holders constituted 44.76 per cent of the total holdings in 1990?91 which declined to 31.25 per cent in 2005?06 in Punjab. Some of the problems being faced by them comprised of small size of holdings, low income, small marketable surplus, poor accessibility to the credit, costly farm machinery, etc. The marginal and small farmers are having unviable land holdings which do not generate enough income to sustain their families. The present study suggests that the cropping intensity of marginal and small land holders can be increased by choosing crops such as vegetables, oilseeds, pulses, fodder, etc. which will help to supplement their income. There are different suggestive cropping systems if adopted which not only generate higher productivity than rice-wheat system but also help to save irrigation water. The cost of production can be reduced by employing the family labour as its marginal efficiency is higher than the hired labour. The contract farming and group marketing arrangements have to be strengthened in order to help the marginal and small land holders. On the whole, it seems that it would be possible to ameliorate the condition of marginal and small land holders, if, they become proactive to adopt the cropping system which will provide them with additional income.