OCCUPATIONAL DIVERSIFICATION AND ACCESS TO RURAL EMPLOYMENT: REVISITING THE NON FARM EMPLOYMENT DEBATE

Abstract

There is a growing feeling of urgency for enlarging the ambit of non-farm activities for accelerating the pace of rural development, battering the employment prospects, augmenting productivity and earnings, alleviating poverty and redressing urban problem. It is important to note that what was once deemed as a passive side-route for employment growth is now vociferously recommended as the pivotal plan of a rural development strategy. It is in this context that this paper examines in detail the notion of rural non-farm sector. It explore the theoretical linkages between agricultural sector and the rural non-farm sector and examines in detail the factors may cause diversification towards the rural non-farm sector.