Author(s): A. KONAR AND G. DEY

Abstract: The study has been conducted in two villages belonging to Galsi-1 and Kanksa blocks of Burdwan district in West Bengal. Villages, blocks and district have been purposively selected. Out of 218 agricultural households 50 have been selected by the technique of Simple Random sampling Without Replacement (SRSWOR). The study has been carried out with the objectives of finding source wise annual level of income and estimating extent of livelihood security of agricultural households. Data have been collected on area under various crops, source wise income, and family living expenditure for various components of livelihood security. The reference year of the study is 2011-12. The study reveals that the largest portion of income is earned from wage labour in marginal size class. In small and semi-medium size classes the largest share of income comes from crop production. Highest percentage of male is occupied in crop production in all the size classes. Most of the female are occupied in wage labour. Across all the size classes expenditure on food commodities of agricultural households is less than the estimated expenditure for balanced diet as recommended by National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) under the aegis of ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research). In the cases of procurement of other goods and services concerned to livelihood of people expenditures of agricultural households are considerably higher than estimated expenditures based on NSS data related to rural West Bengal. But annual income of all individual size classes of agricultural households is higher than their annual expenditures. In spite of this, it is not affordable for the agricultural households in marginal size class to maintain their food security unless they curtail expenditures on other necessity goods and services. But it is not a problem for other size classes of agricultural households.

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