ABSTRACT
The “rural” is always considered as an entity thriving over subsistence agriculture, where non-agricultural employment largely revolves around agriculture. Migration is increasingly viewed as a subsidiary source of income or an auxiliary source of livelihood. This paper argues that rural areas are not as agrarian as previously thought; livelihood patterns have become diversified as much as it may not be characterized by one particular activity and migration is an integral part of that diversification pattern. Findings from the study show that the contribution of agriculture to the rural economy has dropped significantly, and thus it may be naive to assume that agricultural development will generate enough propensities for the expansion of non-farm activities in rural areas. It is leading to a situation where growth and development in rural society may take place, delinked from agriculture. In the study area, remittances have emerged as the main source of livelihood for about half of the households in the sample. Given the growing dependence on migration, better knowledge, a healthy and capable workforce, strong social networks, and protection of migrant and labor rights at the place of destination becomes very important for the development of the area of origin.
