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AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
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AGRICULTURAL POPULATION
The census of 1951 returned 11,75,309 persons as inhabitants of Satara district and nearly 77 per cent, of these depended on agriculture for their livelihood. It is not possible to analyse the changes in the structure of agricultural population since the publication of the old Gazetteer (1885), mainly on account of the following two vital considerations:—(1) The present district of Satara emerged in 1948 as a result of the partition of the former Satara district into two units (the other unit being Sangli) and their reconstitution con sequent upon the merger of the adjoining princely states (like Aundh. Phaltan, Miraj, Sangli, etc.) and other territorial adjustments (2) The decennial Census data cannot be compared directly, one with the other, nor can they be taken as representative in all respects in as much as the basis of classification, the method of collection the scope as well as the purview of enquiry have all undergone a material change during successive Census years.
Details regarding persons engaged in agriculture and other allied occupations, as given by the 1951 Census, are furnished in the two tables below:—
TABLE No. 1.
POPULATION ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURE, IN SATARA DISTRICT IN 1951. |
|
|
Self-supporting persons. |
Earning Dependants. |
Non-earning Dependants. |
Persons following other professions as their main occupation but deriving secondary income from Agriculture. | |
|
|
Males. |
Females. |
Males. |
Females. |
Males. |
Females. |
Males. |
Females. |
1. |
Cultivators of land wholly or mainly owned and their dependants. |
1,49,934 |
23,958 |
39,813 |
1,33,666 |
1,94,757 |
2,54,243 |
39,245 |
1,16,316 |
2. |
Cultivators of land wholly or mainly unowned and their dependants. |
4,789 |
507 |
1,233 |
3,467 |
5,468 |
7,182 |
9,268 |
3,835 |
3. |
Cultivating labourers and their dependants. |
10,050 |
4,376 |
2,301 |
5,984 |
10,049 |
13,696 |
12,062 |
27,385 |
4. |
Non-cultivating owners of land, agricultural rent receivers and their dependants. |
6,449 |
5,129 |
1,104 |
3,156 |
10,213 |
15,644 |
7,172 |
2,033 |
Total—All Classes |
1,71,222 |
33,970 |
44,451 |
1,46,273 |
2,20,487 |
2,90,765 |
67,747 |
1,49,569 |
TABLE No. 2.
POPULATION ENGAGED IN ALLIED AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS, IN SATARA DISTRICT IN 1951.
|
|
Employers. |
Employees. |
Independent workers. |
Total. | |
Males. |
Females. |
Males. |
Females. |
Males. |
Females. |
Males. |
Females. | |
1. |
Stock raising |
67 |
6 |
237 |
4 |
1,617 |
103 |
1,921 |
113 | |
2. |
Rearing of small animals and insects. |
-- |
-- |
6 |
-- |
1 |
-- |
7 |
-- | |
3. |
Plantation |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1 |
-- |
1 |
-- | |
4. |
Forestry and collection of products. |
2 |
-- |
86 |
4 |
71 |
28 |
159 |
32 |
|
Total |
69 |
6 |
329 |
8 |
1,690 |
131 |
2,088 |
145 |
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood to 9,07,165 persons including self-supporting persons and their dependents both earning and non-earning. Besides, it provided subsidiary occupation to a fairly large number of persons. In the above two Tables (No. 1 and 2), are included persons engaged in agricultural cultivation; landowners cultivating and non-cultivating; farm labourers; garden cultivators; labourers working in forests and persons engaged in rearing, breeding of and dealing in livestock. The majority of the workers on the land are the cultivating owners who numbered 7,96,371. This includes 1,73,892 self-supporting persons who worked on their own farms; 1,73,479 earning dependants who also worked on the farms but whose income was not sufficient to maintain them, and 4,49,000 non-earning dependants, i.e., those who did not earn any income either in cash or in kind. Agricultural labourers who worked on the farms belonging to others for wages in cash or in kind numbered 46,456 and formed the next numerous class. This included 14,426 self-supporting persons, 8,285 earning dependants and 23,745 non-earning dependants. The non-cultivating owners of land who usually give out their lands to tenants for cultivation on rent were 41,692. Of these 11,575 were self-supporting persons, 4,260 earning dependants, while non-earning dependants numbered 25,857. Tenant cultivators numbered 22,646 which included 5,296 self-supporting persons; 4,700 earning dependants and 12,650 non-earning dependants.
It will be seen from Table No. 2 that only one person was engaged in plantation industries, seven persons were engaged in rearing of small animals and insects. Forestry and collection of forest products provided employment to 191 persons whereas 2,034 persons were employed in stock raising. Persons engaged in live-stock business usually keep good quality cattle, buffaloes and transport animals, breed them and meet the local requirements of live-stock. Besides, they also keep poultry, sheep and goats.
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