Child Bondage Continues in Indian Cotton Supply Chain

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Important findings • Table 6 presents the workforce composition in 40 sample farms surveyed in 2006-07. The total area covered by 40 sample farms is 45 acres and the average farm size is 1.12 acres. • A total of 266 children in the age group of 7-14 years worked on these farms during peak cross pollination season. Children accounted for nearly 55.6% of the total workforce. Among child labourers 81% were girls. On an average 5.9 children were engaged per one acre of seed production. Compared to 2003-04, the proportion of children (below 14 years) to the total workforce and per acre employment of number of children has slightly declined. The proportion of child labour to the total workforce declined from 67.2% in 2003-04 to 55.6% in 2006-07. • Children in the age group of 15 to 18 years account for 34% of the total labour force. In 2003-04, this age group of children accounted for only 21% of the total workforce. • The work in cottonseed farms is largely carried out by hired labour. Of the total 478 workers engaged in working on these farms during cross pollination season, 376 of them (82.8%) were hired labourers and 102 were family labourers. Compared to 2003-04 there is not much change in the proportion of hired labour in the total workforce. • The proportion of child labour to the total workforce was found higher in Gulberga and some parts of Koppal areas compared to Kolar and Gadag districts. • Compared to 2003-04, there is a marginal increase of 10% to 14% in the wage rates paid to both children and adult labour in 2006-07. Table 6: Trends in workforce composition in cottonseed farms in Karnataka 2003-04 2006-07 Total number of farms surveyed (area in acres) 20 (30 acres) Total number of workers engaged during cross pollination activity Type of labour (family vs hired) % of family labour to total labour 17.2% (52) % of hired labour to total labour 82.8% (250) Hired labour (local vs migrant) % migrant labour to total hired labour 8.8% (22) % local labour to hired labour 91.2% (228) 40 (45 acres) 302 478 21.4% (102) 78.6% (376) 7.5% (28) 92.5% (348) 24
Age group and gender composition % Children (below 14 years) to total workforce 67.2 % (203) 55.6% (266) % of girls to total children 88.2 % (179) % children (15-18 years) to total workforce 20.9 % (63) % of girls to total children (15-18 years) 66.6 % (42) Adults (above 18 years) 11.9 % (36) 81.2% (216) 33.9% (162) 72.8% (118) 10.5% (50) Average no of children (below 14 years) per acre 6.7 5.9 Average no of children (15-18 years) per acre 2.1 3.6 Note: figures in brackets are absolute numbers ‘I was forced to leave school and join in cottonseed work’ (Narsamma, 11 years, cottonseed worker, Sedam taluk, Gulberga district, Karnataka state ) Balamani (14 years) and Narsamma (11) are sisters. They belong to a scheduled caste family in a small village in Sadam taluk of Gulberga district in Karntaka state. Both sisters work on cottonseed fields for a migrant farmer who produces seeds for an Andhra based seed company. Balamani and Narsamma both began cottonseed work in 2005. Their large family consists of their parents, grandmother, three younger brothers and two elder sisters. The two youngest boys attend school. One elder sister is married and now lives with her husband. Though their family owns four acres of land, their main source of income is agricultural wage work. To the detriment of the family, their father has a drinking problem and what wages he has, he spends mostly on alcohol. He also is not regularly employed. In April of 2005, Balamani and Narasamma’s parents needed extra income to provide for a sister’s wedding. They took a loan of Rs. 4000 from a cottonseed farmer from the same village and sent the girls to work. Since then, they have been continuously working with that same farmer. The farm is three kilometers from their home, close enough for them to walk to work. Every day they leave their home at 7 am and return from the field at 7 pm. On the farm, both sisters perform with the task of cross-pollination work. They do this work every day about 9-10 hours from August to November. Rs 25 is paid as a daily wage rate. Their employer is an affluent farmer who migrated from Andhra Pradesh for producing cottonseed cultivates cottonseeds in three to four acres and employs 30-40 children every year. Recruitment of children in cottonseed production through loans and advance payments is a common practice in this area. According to the farmer who employed Balamani and her sister ‘We need secured labor to work in our fields throughout the season. Loans and advances will help us to make the parents to stick to their agreements. Once the initial loan or advance is repaid we further give additional loans or advances to parents to keep our agreement intact’. 25
Page 1 and 2: Child Bondage Continues in Indian C
Page 3 and 4: SECTION - I : Introduction Backgro
Page 5 and 6: Executive summary The recent trends
Page 7 and 8: In the context of the developments
Page 9 and 10: (Abolition) Act, 1976 8 , The Child
Page 11 and 12: proportion of child labour to the t
Page 13 and 14: seeds in the market resulted in an
Page 15 and 16: SECTION - III TRENDS IN EMPLOYMENT
Page 17 and 18: 15% to 64% in different farms produ
Page 19 and 20: small bed a in a dark corner, fed j
Page 21 and 22: namely Gonegandla, Nandavaram, Kosi
Page 23: KARNATAKA Poisonous Pesticides take
Page 27 and 28: Important findings Table 7 presents
Page 29 and 30: GUJARAT Daily work schedule of a mi
Page 31 and 32: eceive a commission from the farmer
Page 33 and 34: • With regard to the labour recru
Page 35 and 36: SECTION - IV ESTIMATES OF THE MAGNI
Page 37 and 38: CONCLUDING REMARKS The recent trend
Page 39: found using child labour for future

Child Bondage Continues in Indian Cotton Supply Chain

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