Abstract
Rural non-farm enterprises and products remained a relatively neglected area of inquiry until recently. But, given the present and potential importance of this sector for rural livelihoods, and the emerging opportunities in terms of new markets for rural non-farm products, it is important to understand the dynamics and issues of this sector. This paper examines the concept and domain of rural non-farm sector in general, and the nature and dynamics of production of and market for handicraft products in particular, with focus on Gujarat. It identifies problems and explores strategies for better organisation of production and marketing of these products. It is argued that the lack of marketing orientation is the major problem in this sector, besides poor backward and forward linkages and lack of capital. Based on empirical evidence, certain solutions to better attend to the problems of the handicrafts sector are suggested.
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