Trends of Workers engage in Agriculture sector in Mizoram

Agriculture remains the main livelihood in Mizoram, dominated by jhum cultivation in a hilly, monsoon-dependent landscape. While services and industry have expanded and agriculture's share declined to 20% in 2022-23, about 55% of workforce depends on agriculture. This study examines agricultural workforce trends in Mizoram, focusing on cultivators and agricultural labourers. Census 2011 reported 4,86,705 total workers (44.36% of total population), including 229,603 cultivators and 41,787 agricultural labourers and around 56% of the workers were engaged in agricultural activities, mostly by practicing jhum (shifting cultivation). From 1971 to 2011, cultivators increased from 126,652 to 229,603, while agricultural labourers rose from 558 to 41,787, with urban growth suggesting expansion and migration. Male shares increased among cultivators (51.46% to 56.39%), while female participation rose among agricultural labourers (31% to 46.18%). Growth patterns show modest increases in cultivators but volatile growth in labourers, indicating increasing casualization alongside sectoral shifts, requiring sustainable transitions.