https://managementjournal.info/index.php/IJAME en-US International Journal of Advances in Management and Economics https://managementjournal.info/index.php/IJAME/article/view/869 <p>Several governmental programs operate in Himachal Pradesh to build marketing functions inside the Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). Financial support with market infrastructure development services helps FPOs enter domestic and international markets to provide agricultural value creation. Currently, in the state, 180 FPOs are working, and Shimla has the most FPOs with 33 FPOs. The Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) and the Foundation for the Development of Rural Value Chains (FDRVC) remain essential for developing market functions and networking capacity of FPOs. HPMC serves as the support by linking FPOs with the market directly, while PMFME provides financial assistance for key infrastructure developments and marketing proficiency education. The National Agriculture Market (eNAM) platform allows users to access current market pricing information and enables direct trading access. A shipment of reforms targeting Agricultural Produce Market Committees functions to eliminate market barriers for FPOs while minimizing their dependence on intermediaries. While improving farm revenues, these initiatives create an essential environment for Indian agriculture.</p> Vipin Kumar Copyright (c) 2025 Vipin Kumar 2025-04-29 2025-04-29 01 08 https://managementjournal.info/index.php/IJAME/article/view/876 <p>In the past few decades, India's rural labor market has undergone significant structural transformations, reflecting broader economic changes and evolving employment patterns. This paper investigates the sectoral distribution and quality of employment among rural workers in India, focusing on the subsectors within agriculture, classified under the 2-digit National Industrial Classification (NIC). By analyzing data from the 2011-12 National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) Employment and Unemployment Survey (EUS) and the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) from 2017-18 to 2023-24, the study found that workers share in agriculture declined from 63.3 percent to 57.6 percent, while those in non-agricultural sectors rose from 36.9 percent to 42.4 percent between 2011-12 and 2023-24. Male workers are increasingly moving towards non-agricultural jobs, whereas female workers still predominantly remain in agriculture. However, recent years have witnessed a noticeable rise in female participation in the sectors of health, education, and trade, indicating a gradual diversification. Additionally, younger and prime-age workers exhibit more mobility and a stronger preference for nonfarm employment compared to older workers. Higher education levels are correlated with an increased likelihood of entering nonfarm jobs. Within the rural nonfarm categories, the leading sub-sectors include manufacturing, construction, and wholesale and retail trade. In the agricultural sector, a significant portion (approximately 73 percent) of workers are self-employed, highlighting the dominance of own-account and unpaid family labor. These trends highlight the urgent need for targeted rural employment policies that aim to enhance jobs, especially in nonfarm sectors, and increase productivity and quality of employment across both sectors.</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Keywords: </strong><em>Rural employment, Sectoral composition, Farm and Nonfarm, Quality of work.</em></p> <p><strong>JEL Codes:</strong> J01, J21, J43, E24</p> Urvashi Kamal Singh Copyright (c) 2025 Urvashi, Kamal Singh 2025-04-29 2025-04-29 09 19