From Fields to Cities: Mapping Agrarian Exit and Migrant Labor Transitions in Tamil Nadu

Between 2001 and 2011, over 867,000 farmers exited agriculture in Tamil Nadu, resulting in a significant decline in farm employment and cultivated land. This study investigates the structural and socio-economic drivers of this shift, with a particular focus on internal migration, labor displacement, and rural deagrarianisation. Drawing on data from the 2011 Census, Periodic Labour Force Survey, and regional agricultural reports, the research highlights how MGNREGA wage effects, rural labor shortages, and climate volatility have jointly contributed to the erosion of agrarian livelihoods. In contrast to traditional patterns of rural-to-urban migration, Tamil Nadu now faces a dual challenge: the outmigration of skilled youth from farming households and the influx of precarious migrant laborers into rural labor markets. This dynamic has accelerated the fragmentation of agrarian communities and undermined local food systems. The paper calls for targeted policy responses, including conditional returnee-farmer subsidies, gender-responsive rural welfare support, and the creation of district-level Migrant Labour Coordination Councils. These interventions are essential to address labor shortages, protect migrant rights, and promote sustainable agricultural revitalization in the state. JEL Codes: J61,O15,R23