ABSTRACT
The states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, existing as one state Andhra Pradesh during 1956-2014, in spite of its uneven nature, underwent considerable transformation in the six decades. The field work was undertaken in the year 2013, by interviewing 1087 households in seven villages in erstwhile combined Andhra Pradesh. Holdings in agriculture are becoming fragmented from above. Small holdings emerge from below and from above. Some previously landless labourers purchased land, as happened until two decades ago. Holdings from above are getting fragmented through property mutation. Landlessness is generally higher in Coastal Andhra villages , in Telangana and Rayalaseema villages it is less. All villages that have dry land or well irrigation, have a lower share of landless labour and are increasingly dependent on mechanization. Substantial investments in pump sets, tractors, rotovators, sprayers, sprinklers, and borewells are made by almost all classes of farmers.
