0: N/ A SURV P EY OF FAMITABLERODUGTION ( NE CONDIT] 2)F BAJRA :ONS 73 1971-72 1972-7 3 Category of landholder Cultivated area Production Cultivated area Production Average fall \ (acres) (quintals) (acres) (quintals) (per cent) More than 50 acres (irrigal 20 acres) 30 to 50 acres :ed 20 42 17.4 25.8 30 (irrigated 10 acres) 20 to 30 acres 9 20 10.0 13.0 30 (irrigated 5 acres) 10 to 20 acres 8 10 0.8 5.6 45 (irrigated 5 acres) Non-irrigated 5 6 109 5.2 6.0 5.0 3.0 50 66 The fall in bajra production is steeper as we go down the ladder, the landholders of non-irrigated land being the greatest losers. The same trend is noticed in the production of wheat and groundnut. The classification of landholders is far from systematic and the economic strata to which they belong have to be deduced from the physical impact of the famine on each of these groups. The landholders with more than 50 acres (20 acres irrigated) are found to have been so little affected by the famine that not only have they not to toil on scarcity works, but they have not felt it necessary to postpone the marriages due to be celebrated this year. The report fights shy of noting that the marriage ceremonies are being celebrated with increased expenditure and pomp. A recent marriage at Matpur in the taluka is estimated to have cost not less than half a lakh of rupees, and the dowry paid to the bridegroom is said to have been Rs 32,000. This category is evidently the capitalist landlord. The landholders owning 20 to 30 acres (irrigated area 5 to 10 acres) also have not been compelled to work on scarcity projects, though some of them had to postpone the marriages due this year. This is the rich peasant category. Fifty per cent of the group owning 10 to 20 acres (2 to 5 acres irrigated) have been forced to seek their livelihood on scarcity works and had to sell their livestock and mortgage or sell their lands and face starvation. This is the middle peasant category. Those owning exclusively non-irrigated land are the poor peasants.