Farm Income Inequality among the Farmers of Jaipur District in Rajasthan, India
Sonu Kumar Mehta
Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, S.K. Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
Shirish Sharma
Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, S.K. Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
Aashish Kumar
Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, S.K. Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
Anju Yadav
Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Bhupender
Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, S.K. Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
Deepak Kumar Jain *
Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Deepak Meena
Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The study analysed income inequality among farm households in Jaipur district, Rajasthan, using primary data collected from 100 households during 2021-22 through a pre-structured interview schedule. Farmers were grouped into four income categories: farm income, allied activities, non-farm activities and combined farm, allied and non-farm income. Twenty-five farmers were randomly selected from each category. The Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient were used to examine the distribution of income across the selected households. The results showed that the Gini coefficient ranged from 0.51 to 0.60, indicating unequal income distribution in the study area. The highest inequality was observed in the combined income category, followed by non-farm activities, allied activities and farm income. The lowest 20 per cent of households consistently held a smaller share of total income than the highest 20 per cent across the income categories. The Lorenz curves also deviated from the line of perfect equality, confirming the presence of income inequality. The findings suggest that farm income inequality in the district is shaped not only by agricultural income but also by access to allied and non-farm livelihood opportunities. Policy support should prioritise small and resource-poor farmers through productivity improvement, wider access to irrigation, water-harvesting technologies and diversified income-generating opportunities.
Keywords: Farm income inequality, gini coefficient, lorenz curve, Jaipur district, Rajasthan, farm households, allied activities, non-farm activities, income distribution, rural livelihoods