(1)
Agricultural Operator
An
agricultural operator is the person responsible for operating
the agricultural land and /or livestock. He/She may carry
out the agricultural operations by himself/herself or with
the assistance of others or simply direct day-to-day operations.
Here
the
Operator
cultivates the land and/or tends the livestock himself.
or
He/she may do so with the assistance of hired labour or
any other persons.
or
He/She may simply direct operations by taking decisions
only.
It
is important to note that the operator need not necessarily
be the owner of the land or livestock and also that mere
ownership does not entitle a person to be considered as
an operator.
This
means that a person may attend to all the work needed to
cultivate a land or tend livestock, but will not be considered
the operator, if there is some one else directing day to
day work on the holding. It also means that a person may
supervise the work in a holding appearing for all purposes
to be in charge of the operations of the holding, but if
there is someone else who is giving day to day directions,
he/she does not become the operator.
In
respect of livestock, any person who is actually responsible
for the management of livestock in the same way that a land
operator is responsible for his holding will be considered
as the operator. The livestock may be owned, obtained on
"Ande" or lease or any other form of arrangement.
While most livestock operators will also be land operators,
there would be cases of livestock operators who are not
land operators and therefore they may have no land holding.
The term agricultural operator includes both land operator
as well as purely livestock or poultry operator.
While
most of the operators have only one holding, there could
be cases of an operator having more than one holding.
(2)
Agricultural Holding
An
agricultural holding consists of all land and/or livestock
used wholly or partly for agricultural production and is
operated under one operational status and situated within
one Divisional Secretariat. (D.S.) Division subject to the
following conditions:
- One
holding may consist of one or more parcels.
-
Does not matter whether operator owns the land or not.
-
Does not matter whether the land is operated legally or
not.
- Holding
may consist only crops, only livestock or crops and livestock.
- Does
not matter whether the land is very marginal or big in
size.
- Holding
may consist only paddy, only highlands or paddy and highlands.
However,
any land is situated outside the D.S.division where the
operator is resided, it should be considered as a separate
agricultural holding taking into account of above conditions.
(3)
Total Extent of Holdings
The
Total extent of holdings is the combined area of all parcels
operated including cultivated and uncultivated area. It
includes the total area.
•
Owned and operated
• Rented from others and operated under other forms
of land tenure
• Occupied by the farm house of dwelling home.
However,
it excludes the area rented out to others.
(4)
Homegarden
a)
A piece of land which has a dwelling house and having some
form of cultivation was defined to be a homegarden, if the
total area of that piece of land is twenty or less than
twenty perches.
b)
A piece of land which has some form of cultivation and the
total area of which is more than twenty perches was also
considered as homegarden, if the following two conditions
are satisfied.
1.
It has a dwelling house
2. The produce of the cultivated land is largely for home
consumption.
“Having
some form of cultivation” was meant any cultivation
for agriculture production. This will include even one coconut
palm or one arecanut tree or couple of chilly plants and
it was treated as homegarden, if the above conditions are
satisfied.
(5)
Household
A
household may be (1) a one person household or (2) a multi-person
household.
A
one person household is one where a person lives by himself
and makes separate provision for his food (either cooking
it himself or purchasing it.)
A
multi-person household is one in which a group of 2 or more
persons live together and have common arrangements for cooking
and partaking of food (in short, living and eating together).
The household includes not only members of the family such
as father, mother and children but also, others who live
with the family and share meals with them such as relatives,
boarders and servants. The members of the household could
be unrelated.
In
case of lodgers living with the household and having their
own arrangements for meals, each holder should be treated
as a separate household. But boarders who share meals should
be treated as members of the household.
(6)
Parcel
A
parcel of the holding is any piece of land entirely surrounded
by land, water, road, forest etc. not belonging to the same
holding. It may consist of one or more fields adjoining
to each other, but should be under the same tenureship.
Note
that neither the crops grown on a land, nor the type of
land has any bearing in determining a parcel. If a piece
of highland of a holding adjoins an asweddumized paddy land
belonging to the same holding that is having common boundary
that piece of highland and aswddumized paddy land together
will form one parcel.
(7) Operational Status
Status
is categorized into four.
1.
Operating Own Account
2. Operating for an Institution
3. Operating for a Private Person
4. Operating in Partnership
1. Operating on Own Account
If
the operator bears by himself/herself the full economic
responsibility and does not share this with anybody else
nor is he answerable to any other person or institution,
then he is operating “On own Account”. He/she
may or may not employ labour and have family members to
help him.
2.
For an Institution
In
this case the operator manages the operation of the holding
on behalf of an institution, such as a private company,
or government or Semi Government Organization.
3.
For a Private Person
Here
the operator manages the operation of the holding as a
manager/care taker with a salary/benefit for an individual.
The operators managing land and/or livestock on behalf
of owners living in the same place or away will come under
this category.
4.
Operating in Partnership
Here
he/she operates the holding jointly with others and shares
the responsibility including management with one or more
person.
Please
note that a single agricultural operator could have more
than one operational status.
(8)
Land Owned
This
includes two categories of land.
(i)
Land legally owned where he/she possesses title of ownership
and consequently the right to determine to what use, it
should be put to as well as the right for transfer.
(ii)
Land operates in an owner like possession. i.e. when the
holder operates it in an owner-like way even though he/she
does not posses the title of ownership.
(9)
Agricultural Work
By
agricultural work is meant any farm work necessary for the
operation of agricultural holding. It will include the physical
work of carrying out the various operations on the farm
as well as other work such as planning of farm work, keeping
of farm accounts. It will also include work done outside
the holding but necessary for the operation of the holding
such as bringing of fertilizer and other farm necessities
to the holding, taking produce to market etc. work related
to the operation of the home and construction work done
on contract will not be included.
(10)
Agrowells
A
well which has diameter of not less than 15 feet and covered
by a permanent wall, is defined as an agrowell, if it satisfies
the following conditions.
- Should
have a capacity of 10,000 gallons (45,000 liters) at the
beginning of Yala season.
- Should
have irrigation capacity for at least ½ an acre
in Yala season.