Income diversification in the plantation households: a strategy to rise above socio-economic deprivation

Abstract

This paper looks at the income diversification patterns of the plantation sector households. A study in selected plantation areas shows that plantation households diversify more into non-plantation, non agricultural sector. However, it was also revealed that the workers continue to remain as unskilled workers even outside the plantation or return to the plantations to be listed as workers. While those earning more from non plantation sector demonstrate increased confidence in their ability to face varying household economic situations, others lack employment related skills to effectively engage in the non-plantation and non-agricultural sector. The paper recommends that interventions to transform plantation labor into skilled and semi-skilled workforce will augment the process of diversifying their income and increase resilience to varying household economic conditions.