Migration, remittances and agricultural farm households’ income: evidence from Punjab, India

Purpose The sudden surge in emigration of Punjab’s rural youth is bound to have a multifaceted impact on farm households, especially the activity choices of remaining members; however, the concerned literature is inconsistent and ambiguous. The present research aims to evaluate migration and remittances’ impact on remaining members’ involvement in and income from various activity choices of farm households of Punjab. Design/methodology/approach The data of 880 total migrant and non-migrant households were collected from the villages of Punjab, India, and the influence of migration and remittances on activity choices and income earned from the same was evaluated through multiple linear regression. Findings The results reveal that international migration negatively influences both household members’ involvement in agriculture and agricultural income, while remittances positively influence households’ involvement in non-farm self-employment and income earned from the same. Contrarily, migration and remittances negatively impact non-farm wages and salaries. Practical implications The study guides towards the need to bring systematic changes in the agricultural sector and strengthen the rural non-farm sector to manage the mass migration of youth from Punjab. Originality/value International migration is widely understudied in the Indian context, and no study has explicitly evaluated its impact on activity choices and income of farm households. While addressing this literature gap, the present research provides valuable suggestions for the development of the rural economy and regulation of youth exodus.