Changing Scenario of Rural Economy in Telangana State: Insights from the Selected Villages of Mahabubnagar District

Abstract

This study assess and document the changes in the rural economy with special focus on agrarian indicators and modernization of rural economy between 2009 and 2019 through focused-group discussions in ten randomly selected villages in Mahabubnagar district of Telangana State. The data were analyzed by simple statistical tools like averages, percentages to quantify the changes in key indicators. Findings indicated that number of actual cultivators declined by about 30% while, number of tenant farmers has been significantly increased by about 80% between 2009 and 2019 in the selected villages. About three-fourths of farmers and agriculture labourers owned mobile phone and motor-bikes. On an average, 3% of agricultural land every year has been diverted into non-farm uses over the past ten years. There was not much increase in the yield of many crops except paddy over the past ten years. The increase in farm gate prices of major crops are not in par with the increased input prices leading to decline in real profitability in farming. This is the key source of rural crisis in rural Telangana rural distress. Therefore, rural people are facing the problems of poverty and exploitation which is impacting the rural economy.