The overall aim of this study was to determine how the availability of labour influences smallholder cropping systems in four selected villages representing two different agro-climatic zones of Sri Lanka. Four villages were selected and stratified random sampling was used to derive a representative sample of 92 households from each village. Chi-square test and General Linier Models were used to analyse parametric and non-parametric data collected through semi-structured interviews, direct observations, farmer recorded data and Rapid Rural Appraisal. This study found that no marked variation in farmer knowledge was observed for most of the selected crops, but knowledge did vary significantly between villages and in relation to cultivation activities of rubber. Also, farmer knowledge of nursery management was strongly dependent on the length of experience in cultivation of rubber, e quality of extension services and knowledge received from outside areas. Study ascertained that an increase in the level of farmer knowledge resulted in an increase in the survival rate of rubber plants in the nurseries and vice versa. Further, when land size was large with a labour intensive crop, farmers tended to use hired labour, but when land size was small (< 1 ha), family labour was predominantly used. Significant gender divisions in labour activities were observed for tea, rubber, paddy and chena crops compared with homegarden crops and banana. More manual labouring activities were undertaken by women than men and high-income smallholders were found to prefer female hired labour because women work more effectively and for lower wages than men. Low-income female-headed families, consisting of only female members were limited in their ability to choose chena crops, paddy, rubber and tea, due to the lack of male labour for slashing and burning and for protecting chena crops at night, ploughing and harrowing of paddy land and land preparation of tea and rubber. The findings derived from this study will be useful for agricultural policy makers and on-farm researchers in helping to identify the most important issues for raising smallholder agricultural productivity.