Socio-Biography of Sugarcane Harvesting Labourers

Sugar industry plays a important role in the social change of the rural people. On the other hand sugarcane harvesting is a heavily labour intensive operation and thousands of labourers came from drought prone areas to work as sugarcane harvesting labourers for the requirements of their livelihood. When all options for livelihood cease, there is no alternative with them unless they migrate to other areas for their livelihood survival. A large majority of labourers migrate from Beed, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Jalna, Parbhani, Aurangabad, and Latur districts in search of more employment days through sugarcane harvesting work. They belong to the poorest strata of the society and are mostly landless or marginal farmers resources poors under employed and no employment workers. Life is tough for these sugarcane harvesting labourers as they have little to access basic amenities with them. Since it is hand to mouth existence for most of them accessing food is the first priority followed by paying off the advances taken.