Labour Intensity in Indian Agriculture, 1880-1970-Some Findings

Some Findings This paper seeks to provide a long-term perspective on changes in labour intensity in Indian agriculture. It uses farm-level data from four periods commencing with the 1880s in order to study the variations in labour used for different crops. The evidence suggests that agriculturally progressive areas showed declines in labour intensity by the 1950s, while increases are observable elsewhere. Decreases predominate in the next two decades.