Strategies of Landless Farmers to Cope with Poverty

The main objective of the study was to find out the strategies followed by the landless farmers to cope with poverty. The study was conducted at a village of Adamdighi Upazilla in Bogra district. Data were collected from a sample of randomly selected 120 landless farmers out of 500 landless farm households through personal interview by using a pre-tested structured interview schedule during September to October, 2010. Strategies used by the landless farmers to cope with poverty were measured by 20 statements under four aspects using 4-point rating scale. Among the four selected aspects of strategies, the landless farmers were more dependent on the farming activities. They followed those strategies where they can utilize physical labour or where there needed small capital but the returns were quick. Most of the landless farmers led their livelihood through growing vegetables/crops on others’ land as share cropping/lease and rearing cows, goats or scavenging birds. Some of the landless farmers were potter, blacksmith and barber to earn their livelihood using indigenous knowledge based professions. The major constraints faced by the landless farmers to cope with poverty were lack of education and skill to perform new jobs and unavailability of the labour market in all the seasons of the year.