Pattern of employment and level of income of mandi labour in agricultural regulated markets in south-western Punjab

In agricultural regulated markets, the mandi labour performed various activities such as unloading, cleaning, packing, stitching and loading of agricultural produce in south western Punjab. About 72 per cent of the workers got their work through contractor. The wage rates for various activities in the state ranged from Rs 1.01 for stitching a sack of 35 kg of paddy to Rs 6.14 for packing of 40 kg of cotton in the bag. The present study revealed that the mandi labour was working in two cropping patterns in the markets i.e. paddy-wheat and cotton-wheat. In kharif season, the mandi labour earned Rs 23849.99 or Rs 27448.20 from paddy or cotton arrival by working for 43 or 112 days respectively in the market. In rabi season, they earned Rs 15530.40 by working 30 days on wheat arrival in the market. The mandi labour worked for 237 days during the whole year out which they worked for 107 days in regulated agricultural markets as mandi workers while for 130 days in other than mandi work such as agricultural labour earning Rs 41058.76 and Rs 31800 per annum respectively.