DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SHARECROPPED AND OWNER-OPERATED FARMS IN SINDH, PAKISTAN: Some Theoretical and Empirical Observations

The two most common types of farms in Sindh are sharecropped and owner-operated farms. Despite similarities, there are many differences between these two tenurial arrangements. These differences are analysed and empirical evidence is examined in order to account for them. Differences in land utilisation and cropping patterns, livestock and animal power, credit and input use, and seasonal and family labour use are explored using data (both secondary and primary) from the 1970s. The empirical evidence supports the contention that differences in tenure lead to systematic differences in both production and resource use.