Importance of Farming for Employment Generation: Perspective of Rural Farmers from Selected Districts of Bhutan Sharma Purna Prasada,* aAssistant Professor, Gedu College of Business Studies, Royal University of Bhutan, Bhutan *Corresponding Author: purnasharmal1512@gmail.com
Online Published on 27 April, 2023. Abstract Purpose This research paper investigates an insight of rural farmers on the key factors that inversely impact agricultural productivity in one of the densely populated districts of Bhutan. Further, it examines the impact of selected factors on farming as the potential for employment generation in the same district and tries to generalize the findings, especially in the context of rural areas of Bhutan. Design/Methodologies/Approach The research is conducted on the baseline data collected from the respondents of Chukha district of Bhutan. Data were collected with the help of a structured schedule as most of the respondents were farmers with little or no basic education background. The findings, however, have been supported by available literature to validate the same. A total of 376 respondents were included from three blocks (Bongo, Chapcha, and Darla) of the said district and their responses were examined and interpreted using ANOVA based on the age and qualification of the respondents. Also, regression analysis was run to understand the impact of such perception on taking up farming as a potential for employment generation by the farmers. Findings Both age-wise and education-wise analysis reveals the low perception of farmers regarding crop loss(CL), lack of resources (farming and technology) (LoR), threats from wild animals (TWA), lack of technical and financial accessibility (LTFA) and parents and peer pressure (PPP) as various factors impacting agriculture productivity. On the other hand, most of the farmers do not perceive CL, LoR, TWA, LTF, and PPP as strong determinants towards factors impacting agricultural productivity in their respective Gewogs as shown by regression analysis. Research Limitations The major limitation of the study is that the study is limited to the extensive review. Managerial Implications The study will help to give insight to the employment opportunities in the agriculture sector. Originality/Value The study is mainly based on baseline data and is expected to have some significant impact on various stakeholders of the respective gewog in particular and the country in general. Top Keywords Perception, Farmers, Employment Generation, Bhutan. Top |