Title: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND INCOME PATTERN OF THE TOBACCO FARMERS

Authors: Senamiso L. Ndlovu and Kumud Shukla

Publisher: The President, Society of Extension Education Gujarat

Keywords: socio economic, tobacco farmers, comparative analysis, Zimbabwe

Volume: 40

Issue: 1

Year: December 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56572/gjoee.2025.40.1.0013

Abstract: Tobacco farming in India and Zimbabwe has grown over the past five years, leading to notable shifts in the socioeconomic status of tobacco farmers. The present study provides a comparative analysis of the socioeconomic conditions of Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco farmers in both countries. The study targeted a total of 160 FCV tobacco farmers. Six variables gender, land ownership, education level, age, income, and land utilization were used to assess their socioeconomic status. Data was collected through structured questionnaires. The results revealed that Zimbabwe had a more gender-inclusive farming structure than India, with gender ratios of 1:2 and 1:7, respectively. Land ownership differed between the two countries: 88.6% of Zimbabwean farmers owned their land, while only 11.4% cultivated on leased land. In contrast, 83.3% of Indian farmers operated on leased land, and only 16.7% owned their farms. Most tobacco farmers in both countries (55.6% in India and 45.7% in Zimbabwe) had attained an elementary level of education. The age distribution indicated that the majority of Zimbabwean farmers were middle-aged (41-50 years, 35.7%), whereas India had a greater proportion of older farmers (51-60 years, 40%). Indian farmers recorded a higher average family income (11.16 lakh) compared to their Zimbabwean counterparts (8.86 lakh). Similarly, Indian farmers cultivated larger land areas, averaging 5.43 hectares compared to 5.03 hectares in Zimbabwe. A Chi-square test was performed to examine the association between age and country, revealing a statistically significant difference. Furthermore, the Mann-Whitney test conducted on income data showed a significant difference between India and Zimbabwe in terms of tobacco income generation.