Livelihood Analysis of Small Tea Growers by Analysing their Farming Systems and Resource Utilization in Jorhat District

Shyamal Kishore Bordoloi *

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India.

M. Deka

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India.

R. P. Bhuyan

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India

A. S. Gogoi

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India

S. K. Phukon

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India

S. Sonowal

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dibrugarh, Assam, India.

N. Tanti

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India.

T. Hussain

Department of Agri-business Management & Food Technology, Tura Campus, NEHU, Meghalaya, India

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.


Abstract

The study was undertaken with the objective to examine the existing farming systems and utilization of resources in Titabar Sub division of Jorhat district, which include two development blocks viz. Titabar development block and Jorhat East development block. Primary data revealed that in the study  area, five types farming systems existed viz. Tea, Field & Horticulture crops, Plantation crops excluding tea (FS-I), Tea, Field & Horticulture crops, Plantation crops excluding tea, Fishery (FS-II), Tea, Field & Horticulture crops, Fishery (FS-III), Tea, Field & Horticulture crops (FS-IV) and Tea, Plantation crops excluding tea (FS-V). The variable cost involved in various farming systems was found to be highest in FS-II (Rs. 163946.96 farm-1yr-1) and was lowest in FS-IV (Rs. 52420.20 farm-1yr-1) whereas after undergoing ANOVA single factor analysis of the Benefit Cost ratios, it was found that FS-II has the highest mean value (2.92) and FS-IV has the lowest mean (0.89) which was due to variation in inclusion of different components in the farming systems. Small tea growers of the study area had a wide scope of augmenting the income from their limited farm resources by following proper cultivation practices, moving towards organic tea cultivation, forming farmer producer company through which they can collectively bargain for inputs and sell the tea in a common platform. Involving high yielding varieties of other components, crop rotation, diversification of enterprise, proper utilization of fallow land and market consciousness can help in increasing the income from the other components other than tea.

Keywords: Tea, small tea growers, farming system, benefit cost ratio


How to Cite

Kishore Bordoloi, Shyamal, M. Deka, R. P. Bhuyan, A. S. Gogoi, S. K. Phukon, S. Sonowal, N. Tanti, and T. Hussain. 2022. “Livelihood Analysis of Small Tea Growers by Analysing Their Farming Systems and Resource Utilization in Jorhat District”. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science 34 (8):81-91. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijpss/2022/v34i830905.