Emerging Trends in Agricultural Practices in Pakistan

In our farming system the manpower used to be predominantly provided by family members. For the seasonal activities like transplanting, harvesting etc. the labour force used to be employed temporarily. However, some farmers also employed permanent workers. Following table gives pattern of agriculture labour force.

PATTERN OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS

More than fifty per cent of the family members of 10 years and above age group worked on their own farms on whole or part time basis in 1972. The percentage of such workers increased from 55% in 1972 to 60% in 1980. In 1990, however, the percentage of family workers had decreased to 29%. This may be mainly because the used of agricultural implements had almost been doubled between the years 1980 and 1990.

Use of casual labour had been on the increase, 45% of farms reported use of casual labour in 1980 as compared to 30% during 1972. The percentage had further increased to 50% in 1990. The reason may be the increased intensity of cropping and demand for seasonal labour at the time of sowing, harvesting and threshing by machine operations. Further, it may be due to reduction in the number of family workers employed in farming and also the permanent hired labour.

The percentage of farms reporting permanent hired labour decreased from 7% in 1972 to 4% in 1980 and further to 2% in 1990. This decrease may be attributed to extensive use of tractors, tractor drawn implements and tubewells as already discussed.