Geographical Analysis of Agricultural Workers in Punjab-Haryana Plains:2011

The major objective of the paper is to analyze the existing patterns of agricultural workers, cultivators and agricultural laborers in Punjab-Haryana Plains during 2011. For achieving the above objective, the study is divided into five parts. Firstly, the proportion of workers to total population is discussed. The second part deals with variations in agricultural workers. But the third part explains the spatial patterns of cultivators. While in fourth part agricultural laborers are discussed. Finally conclusions are drawn and suggestions are made in fifth part. It is observed from the study that average share of workers in the study region is 35.07 per cent which varies between 20.04 per cent in Rohtak district to 42.67 per cent in Mansa district. In case of proportion of agricultural workers to total workers is 40.06 per cent for the study region and recorded lowest of 9.83 per cent in Faridabad district and highest of 63.51 per cent in Jind district. In case of cultivators to total agricultural workers, the region’s average is 68.17 per cent which ranges between 40.67 per cent in Fazilka district to 79.55 per cent in Mahendragarh district. The proportion of agricultural laborers to total agricultural workers in the study region is 41.29 per cent. It is found lowest of 20.45 per cent in case of Mahendragarh district and highest of 59.33 per cent in Fazilka district. It is also found that these spatial variations in total workers, agricultural workers, agricultural laborers and cultivators are governed by the physio-socioeconomic factors. It is also observed that urbanization and industrialization play their significant role in the spatial patterns of these variables. The present study is empirical in nature and is based on secondary sources of data. District is taken as unit of study. Simple statistical methods are used for deriving the results and cartographic techniques are used for mapping the results.