Nature and Dynamics of Farm Labour Work: A Case Study of Cotton in the Indian Punjab

This paper examines the nature and state of farmer and farm worker labour relations in the context of a commercial cash crop—cotton—which is a high value crop in Punjab and of importance to both farmers and workers, with secondary and primary data, including insights from focus groups with both men and women workers. It finds that though the wage engagement is more of casual daily labour but piece rate based in picking of cotton, there is some gendering of tasks and gender gap in wages when it is not piece rate based. Further, workers also find cotton an important crop in their livelihood strategy as other major crops of the state (wheat and paddy) are mostly mechanised in their operations. The paper concludes by highlighting major research and policy issues and way forward for making farm labour markets pro-poor.