Agricultural Economics Research Review

The study has measured the level of commercialization among the smallholder farmers in the Nagaon district of Assam by collecting data from 90 farmers during 2015. The household commercialization index has been used to measure the level of commercialization. The study has observed that the mean level of commercialization is 68.8 per cent which ranges from 63.3 per cent to 74.0 per cent. However, the degree of commercialization differs across sample households, which implies a corresponding variation in the potential and constraints for further commercialization. For smallholders farmers, agriculture is risky in the face of climate change, price shocks, limited financing options, and inadequate access to healthy and nutritious food. Smallholder farmers can successfully adapt their livelihood strategies to these challenges but need a supportive policy environment. To improve livelihood of smallholder farmers, policies ought to target at increasing agricultural production and productivity and promoting agricultural commercialization in a sustainable way.