The indebtedness among the agricultural households in the State was very high when compared to the national average as per the latest National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report spanning from July, 2012 to 2013.
The survey covered 170 select villages in the State and showed that 77.3 per cent of the agricultural households in the surveyed areas were in debt. The national average is 52 per cent.
Economist Sangeetha Kattimani, who had compiled the data from the NSSO survey, told The Hindu here that all southern States reported a very high incidence of indebtedeness.
The average amount of outstanding loan per agricultural household in Karnataka was Rs. 97,200. The highest was in Kerala at Rs. 2,13,600.
Most of the loans availed by the households were from informal sources and 26 per cent of the loans were advanced by moneylenders.
In Karnataka, most of the agricultural households were mainly dependent on cultivation followed by wage or salaried employment for their livelihood.
Prof. Kattimani said that the average monthly income per agricultural household in Karnataka from July, 2012 to June, 2013 was estimated at Rs. 8,830 as against the national average of Rs. 6,426.
The average monthly consumption expenditure per agricultural household in Karnataka was Rs. 5,889 as against the national consumption expenditure of Rs. 6,223.
A National Sample Survey Organisation report covered 170 select villages in the State
