Income Generation Through Small Tea Gardening

Abstract

According to 2011 census, 68.8 per cent population of our country live in rural areas  where many of them do not have any source of income or means of livelihood for which they are deprived of getting the benefit of basic necessities of life. Although a vast majority of rural people depend for their livelihood on farm and non- farm activities, but they do not provide employment opportunities throughout the year. It is found that millions of people in our country are still living below poverty line, and do not have sufficient food to eat, pure water to drink and shelter to live. It is a good indication that a number of men and women are now coming forward to take up some economic activities for generation of income and self-employment. The present paper reflects the findings of a study conducted on 182 small tea growers in order to study about generation of income by the small tea growers in Lakhimpur district of Assam. The study reveals that in Lakhimpur district, the average size of land holdings per Small Tea Growers is found out at 9.96 bighas. It was found that between 2013and 2017, the total green tea leaf production of the sample small tea growers have raised by 80.7 percent The study also reveals that 182 sample small tea growers of the district have earned net earnings of Rs.31052141.00 from small tea cultivation process performed on 1813 bighas of land in the year 2017.