Multidimensional vulnerability in paddy-based agriculture of the Cauvery Delta, India: A quantitative assessment of economic distress and constraint hierarchies

This study examines multidimensional agricultural vulnerability in the Cauvery Delta of Tamil Nadu, India, with particular attention to farm-size inequality, economic distress and resilience outcomes relevant to agricultural policy. Using a multistage stratified random sampling design, primary data were collected from paddy farmers across 3 delta districts and analysed through rank based quotient (RBQ) analysis and comparative statistical techniques. The results identify a hierarchy of severe production, institutional and market-related constraints, indicating that vulnerability in the delta is not episodic but structurally embedded. Economic analysis highlights pronounced disparities in debt–asset ratios across farm-size categories, with marginal and small farmers facing disproportionately higher financial stress and weaker resilience compared to larger landholders. The Composite Economic Vulnerability Index (CEVI) and related social and institutional indicators further reveal deficits in adaptive capacity and institutional trust, reinforcing cycles of vulnerability among resource-constrained farmers. Overall, the findings demonstrate that agricultural vulnerability in the Cauvery Delta is shaped by intersecting economic and institutional inequalities rather than isolated agronomic factors. The study provides policy-relevant empirical evidence to inform targeted interventions aimed at enhancing resilience, reducing farm-size–based inequities and strengthening institutional support mechanisms in deltaic paddy systems.