Labour Employment in Paddy, Wheat and Vegetables in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Unemployment and under-employment are major problems in Nepal resulting from growth in agricultural labour, insufficient agricultural land, small farm size and low cropping intensity. One way to alleviate such problems would be to adopts more intensive system of agriculture. This requires a know...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
1986
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/8002/1/FEP_1986_1_.pdf |
| Summary: | Unemployment and under-employment are major problems in
Nepal resulting from growth in agricultural labour, insufficient
agricultural land, small farm size and low cropping intensity.
One way to alleviate such problems would be to adopts more
intensive system of agriculture. This requires a knowledge on the
labour absorption capacities of different crops. This study
examines the employment of farm labour in vegetable cultivation
as compared to cereal cultivation in Kathmandu valley. More
specifically, it examines the influence of production function variables, cropping intensity and price of labour on the
employment of total labour and, employment of family and hired
labour separately in paddy, wheat and vegetable cultivation.
The employment of total labour is modelled using a single
equation model and the employment of family and hired labour is
modelled using a simultaneous equation system. The total labour
model is estimated by ordinary least squares technique and the
simultaneous equation model is estimated by the instrumental
variable estimation procedure.
Variables such as farm size, tractor use, bullock power and
price of labour are found significantly and negatively related to
the employment of farm labour. The other set of variables such as
seed-manure-fertilizer-pesticide, irrigation, high yielding
varieties and cropping intensity are found significantly and
positively related to the employment of farm labour. In addition,
vegetable cultivation is found more profitable and more labour intensive than cereal cultivation.
Vegetable cultivation is recommended as a possible solution
to ease the problems of unemployment and under-employment in
Nepal. Hired labour is found to be an important beneficiary of
vegetable cultivation. Vegetable cultivation would therefore
provide more employment opportunities to the landless and
marginal farm workers in Nepal. |
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