Micro-Diversification: Case of a Farmer in Golaghat, Assam

Micro-diversification: Case of a farmer in Golaghat, Assam

Gopal Borah, 55, is a small farmer in Tekela Baruah Gaon in Golaghat, Assam. The village is situated at a distance of 8km from the National Highway 37 connecting Guwahati and Dibrugarh. Most of the people in the village are small farmers who engage in paddy farming. There are a few small tea growers too. His small family has four members, including his wife and two sons. His sons are aged 21 and 19 years respectively.

He engages in paddy cultivation in his 3 acres of land. As the output from this land is not sufficient for his family he engages in tenant farming in extra 2 acres of land. He keeps half of the output from that land and gives the other half to the owner. Agriculture is at a subsistence level here and it does not fetch him the necessary cash. Also, multiple cropping is not practiced here.

He works as a mason part time. Yearly, he works for around 100 days as a mason, at an average daily wage of Rs. 200. During monsoon season, he concentrates in farming. Both of his sons have completed their studies up to higher secondary level. But they did not continue higher education due to financial situation. His elder son has some training in installing and repairing cable TV antennas and he finds work from time to time. The younger son sometimes works as a casual labor at construction sites or MGNREGA. At other times he engages in small trading in the weekly market near the village and gets some pocket money. Gopal and also his sons drink alcohol occasionally , mostly during local festivals. They also take part in gambling activities sometimes. Otherwise, they are nice people.

Gopal and his family members make different bamboo craft products, especially Jhaapi . It is a special kind of headgear which is used as a replacement for an umbrella. It has high demand in the nearby tea-gardens as workers need some cover against the rain. One such Jhaapi fetches up to Rs. 60 in the market. The family usually works on it in their leisure time and hence the money that comes from it is an extra income for them. Also, the wife weaves different handloom products when there is not much pressure from agriculture-related work. She markets these products through the self-help group she is involved in.

The family has one cow. The milk production is not high and it is used for domestic consumption. They have three goats and they sell new goats every season. They also have seven pairs of pigeons. Pigeon-rearing is common in the region and an adult pair fetches around Rs. 150 in the market. Also, there is a stream flowing nearby their house. They meet their demand of fish from this stream. Thus, the family is self-sufficient in its protein demands although surplus generated is negligible.

In the last few years, several youths of the village have taken to small tea-growing as a new vocation. Gopal also has 1 acre of surplus