Impact of rural out-migration on agriculture in Uttar Pradesh, India

Rural out-migration is socio-economic process and it influences agriculture in both positively and negatively. The remittances and labour shortage owing to rural out-migration affects above three items positively and negatively respectively. This study is based on secondary and primary data. There are 180 each migrant and nonmigrant household have been selected for interview in two districts of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. We have also organized focus group discussion for depth study. The study shows that rural out-migration and implementation of MGNREGA created labour shortage and increased wage rate in rural areas respectively. Due to high wage rate farmers are unable to pay wage equivalent of MGNREGA wage rate and resultant they are unable to access labour for agricultural work. Labour shortage in agriculture, farmers tends to either leased out of land or sell the land and try to grow low labour intensive crops.