Tenancy Farming and Institutional Exclusion: Agrarian Realities in Odisha

Agricultural tenancy and sharecropping remain critical yet under-recognized dimensions of Odisha’s agrarian economy. Despite cultivating a substantial share of farmland, tenant farmers and sharecroppers are systematically excluded from institutional credit, crop insurance, procurement systems, and welfare programs due to the absence of formal land titles. This paper synthesizes quantitative evidence from the National Sample Survey (77th Round), household surveys in coastal and tribal Odisha, and qualitative fieldwork with tenant farmers and landowners, alongside a review of policy initiatives such as the Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act (2016), the Draft Odisha Land Leasing Bill (2020), and state-level programs including KALIA and BALARAM.
A multidimensional Institutional Access Index was constructed to measure integration into formal agricultural support systems, complemented by econometric models estimating the “tenancy penalty.” Findings reveal that tenant farmers are 47–50 percent less likely to access formal credit and crop insurance compared to landowners, yet paradoxically invest more in agricultural inputs due to rent pressures. Regional disparities are pronounced, with tribal districts facing deeper exclusion than coastal plains. Policy reforms have made progress in recognizing tenants, but persistent barriers—lack of tenancy records, landlord consent requirements, and weak monitoring—limit impact. The study argues for tenancy reforms that prioritize the active cultivator as the rightful beneficiary of institutional support.

Agricultural Tenancy, Agricultural Services, Odisha, Tenancy Reforms, Land Leasing

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