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Farm income inequality and the role of caste: new evidence from India

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  • Ashish Singh

    (Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research)

Abstract

The paper analyses the relationship between net farm income per unit of land cultivated and caste divisions in India using a micro unit recorded nationally representative household survey conducted in 2004-05. Findings suggest that the groups that are generally considered disadvantaged (“Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes”) have, after controlling for other factors, substantially lower farm returns compared to the advantaged (“Others”) castes, whereas the “Other Backward Classes” occupy position in between. Decomposition of overall net farm income inequality using mean-log deviation indicates that the caste based inequality forms a substantial part of the overall net farm income inequality. Results call for policies for neutralizing the impact of caste on agricultural returns in addition to the general policy of land redistribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashish Singh, 2011. "Farm income inequality and the role of caste: new evidence from India," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 31(4), pages 2847-2862.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-11-00215
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Krishna, V. & Vikraman, S. & Aravalath, L., 2018. "Caste-based social segregation and access to public extension services in India," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 276944, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Tran, Dai Binh & Tran, Hanh Thi My & Pham, Thao Dinh Ngoc & Nguyen, Thuy Thanh, 2023. "Education and agricultural household income: Comparative evidence from Vietnam and Thailand," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    4. Vijesh V Krishna & Lagesh M Aravalath & Surjit Vikraman, 2019. "Does caste determine farmer access to quality information?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(1), pages 1-22, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Returns to farming; Farm income inequality; Caste based inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D3 - Microeconomics - - Distribution
    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics

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