FAMERS SUICIDE IN INDIA: REALITY, REASONS AND REMEDIES

Dr.KaleSambhajiBhaurao

ABSTRACT

SeveralstudieshavebeenconductedbytheGovernmentandsocialscienceorganizationstoanalysetheagrariancrisisandfarmerssuicides.Basedonmyexperience asDistrictDevelopmentManager(DDM)inDistrictBetulofMadhyaPradesh,whichincidentallyisadjacentto,identifieddistressdistrictsinMaharashtra.Ihave triedtosummarizecausesofsuicidesandsuggestedremediesinthepaper CentralandStateGovernmenthaveannouncedthereliefpackagestothesuicideaffected families in Maharashtra. NABARD is the implementing agency of the package provided by Central Government. In the budget of 2008-09 Honourable Finance MinisterhasalsoannouncedmassivewriteofftothetuneofRs.60000croreoftheoutstandingloanofsmall&marginalfarmersandOTSforotherfarmers.

Statisticssaynearly4,00,000farmerscommittedsuicideinIndiabetween1995and2018.InovertwodecadesofTheStatisticsfocusedondataonfarmerssuicide to humangrief,struggle,bravefight-backsandseveralcomplex,crumblingworldswithinthatworld–thingsthatIhopetoshowinthisnarrative.Aroundthemid1990s, aliberalisedandglobalisedeconomyengulfedgreatmanyunsuspectingfarmersinproblemsthatwerebeyondtheircomprehension,triggeringsuicidesthatsurgedin theearly2000s.Inthecottonhinterland,IwaswakinguptolifeandlivingagainstthebackdropofprematuredeathsofyoungandoldfarmersandanewIndiataking shapeinthenewmillennium.India'seconomywasnowfuelledbysectorsotherthanagriculture,likeservices.

Localfarmers'marketswereinvadedbyglobalmarkets,likethatofcottonorfood.Rapidupwardeconomicmobilityofsectionsofthepopulationwascreatingnewer inequalities, leading to a perception among the peasantry that they were losing out. The fast-changing economic conditions were also altering long-held social equations.

Landedfarmers,onceamongtherespectedclassesinavillageeconomy,werenowunabletomeettheirever-growingneeds,whilethenon-landedclasses,absorbedin the unorganised service economy, migrated out of their villages to urban centres for better wages and work, doing marginally better than they once did as farm labourers.Agriculture was said to be the sole bright spot for India's gross domestic product growth, clocking a positive growth rate when other sectors fell to the pandemicduringthelasttwoyears.Butthegrowthdidnottranslatemuchforagriculturallabourersasatleastoneagriculturallabourerdiedbysuicideeverytwohours in 2021.Some 5,563 agricultural labourers died by suicide in 2021, according to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).The number of suicidesincreasedbyninepercentfrom2020andbyaround29percentfrom2019.Some5,121ofthe5,563suicidesbyagriculturallabourersduring2021wereby malesand442werebyfemales.ThemostsuicideswerereportedfromMaharashtra(1,424),followedbyKarnataka(999)andAndhraPradesh(584),accordingtothe reportAccidentalDeathsandSuicidesinIndia.Thedatacomesatatimewhenmorefarmershavebecomelabourersandanaverageagriculturalhouseholddepends moreonwagesthanthefarm.

KEYWORDS:Farmland,Drought,Agriculture,Indebtedness,Farmer,Suicide.

INTRODUCTION:

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian Economy as it contributes approximatelyto18percentthenationalGDP Itismostimportantsectorintermsofprovidingemploymentandreducingpoverty ButthepoorperformanceofThesector after mid 1990 and the distress of the farmers has highlighted the need of focus and analysis the problem and steps needed to revitalizeagriculture.The recentsituationassessmentsurveycarried outbytheNationalSampleSurvey Organization(NSSO)hadalsooverwhelminglyprovedthatagricultureisnolongeraprofitableenterprise,whereininincomefromcropcultivationinnotmeet the annual expenditure of the farmers.The Indian farmers are caught in a dilemmawhethertocontinueinagricultureornotinthepast30years,thenoble professionofagriculturehasbecomeunremunerative andfarmershavebecome untouchableinthesocialcircles.

Agriculture provides the principal means of livelihood for over 60% of India's population. Despite a steady decline in its share to the gross Domestic Product (GDP)agricultureremainsthelargesteconomicsectorinthecountry Thereisan oldsayinginMarathi'ShetkarikarjatjanmtoanikarjatchMarato'whichmeans "Farmertakesthebirthindebtanddieinthesamecondition".Thiswasthepositionoffarmersbeforeindependenceanditstillcontinueafter60yearsofindependence.IfweanalysethesuicidesbyfarmersinMaharashtraitisrevealedthat itishigherinVidarbharegionoftheStatewherefarmerspreferredcultivationof "whitegold"i.e.cotton-ariskyventurethatsufferedduetonon-availabilityof quality seeds coupled with the farmers or incapacity to buy costly Bt. cotton seeds.Duetorapidgrowthofruralpopulationanddivisionoffamiliesthefarmlandhasundergonerapidfragmentation.Presently80%ofthefarmlandholding arewiththesmallandmarginalfarmersowninglandupto5acres.Forthesecategoryoffarmerscostofproductionbywayoffarminputshasincreasedmanifold overtheyearswhiletheproductivityofthelandremainedatthesameleveland salepriceoffarmproducehasnotcommensuratelyincreased.Thesefactorshave drivenfarmerstothedebttrapandhavecauseddistressleadingtosuicide.My experienceinthefieldhasshownthatsmallerthelandholdinghigheristhecost ofproduction.Thedistressedeconomyofsmallscalecropcultivationisfurther accentuated by lack of knowledge, scientific application of crop management,

diversificationpractices,inappropriatesystemsuchasnonavailabilityofquality input material in time, inadequate irrigation facility, non-remunerative prices, dominanceofmiddlemeninAgriculturalMarketingStructure.

Low and volatile growth rates under the sector and the recent escalation of an agrarian crisis in several parts of the country pose a threat not only to national food security but also to the economic well being of the nation as a whole. In 1947theshareofAgricultureintotalGDPwas50%.Graduallyitdeclinedand hasnowcomedowntoabout20%.Stillhowever60%populationdependonagricultureforthesurvival.In1988-89i.e.priortointroductionofFinancialSector Reforms,growthrateinAgricultureinIndiawas15.4%,whichhascomedown to9.4%(2006-07).Theycouldalsonotgetremunerativepricefortheirproduce. According to Dr M.S. Swaminathan, although 60% people in India depend on agricultureandAgricultureSectorcontributes25%ofNationalIncomeoverthe period investment and production in agriculture has declined. In developed world the percentage of dependence of population on agriculture is much less e.g. in USA it is only 2% and income from agriculture is just 4%. There are relatedissuesofqualityforexportandcompetitioninglobalmarketForlastfew yearseveryotherdaywereadthenewsoffarmerscommittingsuicides.Thenumberoffarmerswhohavecommittedsuicidessince1997hascrossed1lakhs.In thiscontexttheactualproblemsbeingfacedaretobeunderstoodandanalysed. InnovativeremedieshavetobethoughtofwhicharetobeimplementedwithsinceritybytheGovernmentandtheimplementingagencies,alongwithputtingin placewaystorehabilitatetheaffectedfarmers.Anattempthasbeenmadeinthis articletoaddresstheissueoffarmersplightleadingtosuicideandmeasuresto addresstheissuehavebeensuggested.

Moreagriculturallabourershavediedbysuicideinthelasttwoyears.Butfewer farmers/cultivatorshavedoneso.Thenumberofsuchsuicidesdeclinedto5,318 in2021from5,579in2020and5,957in2019.Thesefigureswerealsohighestin Maharashtra, Karnataka andAndhra Pradesh. Overall, the number of suicides waslowerforfarmers/cultivatorscomparedtoagriculturallabourers.However, the number of suicides by farmers / cultivators in Maharashtra and Karnataka were higher compared to those by agricultural labourers — 2,640 and 1,170

ShriMarutraoGhulePatilEducationSociety's,JijamataCollegeofScience&Arts,Dnyneshwarnagar,Post.BhendeB.KTalNewsa Dist.Ahmednagar,(M.S)India

respectively Atotalof10,881personsinvolvedinthefarmingsectordiedbysuicideduring2021,accountingfor6.6percentoftotalsuicidesvictims(164,033) in the country Certain states / Union Territories like West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh,Lakshadweep,andPuducherryreportedzerosuicidesoffarmers/ cultivatorsaswellasagriculturallabourers,accordingtothereport.

TheNCRBdefines,a'farmer/cultivator'asonewhoseprofessionisfarmingand includethosewhocultivateontheirownlandaswellasthosewhocultivateon leasedland/other'slandwithorwithouttheassistanceofagriculturallabourers.

Agriculturallabourer'isapersonwhoprimarilyworksinthefarmingsector(agriculture / horticulture) and whose main source of income is from agriculture labouractivities.Meanwhile,theshareofdailywagersamongthosewhodiedby suicide in the country has shown a sharp increase in 2021. Daily wage earners accountedfor25percentsuicidesinthecountry(42,004suicides),makingdaily wageearnersthelargestprofession-wisegroupamongsuicidevictimsin2021. Thefigureof42,004suicidesisasharpincreasefrom33,164dailywagerswho diedbysuicidein2020 Itisencouragingtoseethatourcountryisoneofthefastestgrowingeconomiesintheworld.Reformprocessinmostoftheeconomicsectorsisinplace.Thereishealthycompetitioninalmostallthesectorsleadingto costreduction.GOIhasplannedtoachieve10%growthby2012,butallthiscannotbeachievedunlessthetargettedgrowthisensuredforAgriculturesector

OBJECTIVESANDMETHODOLOGY:

Themanobjectiveofthestudyistoidentifythecausesofdistressfacedbyfarmersandlocatethesocio-economiccomponentresponsibleforthisstresseventually leading to suicides. The study also aims to suggest policy major so as to improvetheconditionoffarmers Giventimeconcentrate,thesestudyhasrelied on studies and reports conducted on farmers suicides. Data has been collected fromsecondarysourcesandcompiledinatabularform.TheGlobalPerspective:

Ÿ The suicide rate for farmers throughout the world is higher than for the non-farmingpopulation.

Ÿ

IntheMidwestoftheU.S.suicideratesamongmalefarmersaretwicethat ofthegeneralpopulation.

Ÿ

InBritainfarmersaretakingtheirownlivesatarateofoneaweek.

Ÿ InIndia,onefarmercommittedsuicideevery30minutes.

Ÿ Allovertheworldtheimpactofanindustrialapproachtoboostingcrop yields has stripped many small farmers of their self-sufficiency and thrownthemintodespair

IndebtednessoffarmersinIndia: TheproblemsofruralindebtednessaretheburningissueofruralIndiasociety WithinthegiveninstitutionalstructureoftheIndiasocietyitisfeltthatacurefor indebtedness is extremely difficult, if not impossible. It is so because poverty, coupled with unequal distribution of economic resources, breed indebtedness, whichinturn,consolidatesthecauseofRuralIndebtedness:

1. LowIncome. 2. Povertyandlackofeducation. 3. Unproductive&wastefulexpendituresoftheloan.

Inhabit debts.

Wasteofmoneyonlitigation.

As many as around 15 farmers and 15 agricultural labourers died by suicide everydayin2021,accountingfornearly7percentofthetotalsuicidesreported in India, the highest number of such deaths reported since 2017, as per official data analysed by CNN-News18.According to Figure no 1 recent data by the NationalCrimeRecordsBureau(NCRB)titledAccidentalDeathsandSuicides inIndia2021,personsengagedinthefarmingsectoraccountedfornearly6.6per centofthetotalsuicidesreportedinIndia.“Atotalof10,881personsinvolvedin thefarmingsector(consistingof5,318farmers/cultivatorsand5,563agricultural labourers)havecommittedsuicidesduring2021,accountingfor6.6%oftotalsuicidesvictims(1,64,033)inthecountry Outof5,318farmer/cultivatorsuicides,a total of 5,107 were male and 211 were female,” the report stated. Of the 5,318 farmers/cultivators, 4,806 were land-owning cultivators or without the assistanceofagriculturallabourersand512werethosewhocultivateonleasedlandor landlessagriculturallabourersorsharecroppers/tenants.

FigureNo.1

HighestFarmersSuicidein5Years: Figureno2focusedonthedatabetween2017and2021,nearly53,000persons engagedinthefarmingsectordiedbysuicide.Ofthese,closeto28,600(55%) were farmers. The 2021 report showed the highest number of farmer suicide since2017.

FigureNo.2

While suicide cases have risen among agricultural labourers by 18 per cent in 2020, such deaths have decreased among land-owning cultivators by six per cent.Maharashtrahasreportedthemaximumsuicidesinthefarmingsector.he National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report shows the number of suicides amongagriculturallabourershasincreasedfrom4,324in2019to5,098in2020 — a rise of 18 per cent. However, the number of suicides among farmers/cultivatorshasbeenreportedtohavedeclinedfrom5,957in2019to5,579in 2020 adropofsixpercent.Whilemostoftheotherindustriesautomotive,textiles,realestate wereaffectedduringtheCOVID19pandemic,thefarmindustry functioned unhindered and supported the economy Despite this, there were reportshighlightingtheplightofvegetablefarmerswhoweresellingtheirproduceatthrowawaypricesasthedemandhaddipped.

TheNCRBreporttitled'AccidentalDeaths&SuicidesinIndia –2020'released onOctober28,showstherehasbeenariseinthenumberofsuicidesofagriculturallabourersinthepastyear TheNCRBreportdocumentedthesuicidecases of a total of 10,677 persons involved in the farming sector — 5,579 farmers/cultivatorsand5,098agriculturallabourers during2020.Thisaccountedfor sevenpercentofthetotalsuicidescases(153,052)inthecountrylastyear Ofthe total5,579farmer/cultivatorsuicides,95.6percentweremaleand4.4percent were female.Whereas of the total 5,098 suicides among agricultural labourers during2020,90.6percentweremaleand9.3percentwerefemale.

Figureno3showsthatthetotallyfarmerssuicidedividedtovarioussectorand his dailyincomeconditioninthecountry Figureno2showsrelativeshareand percentage of indias farmers suicide like self employed, unemployed 11.3%, professional salaried person 9.7%, Daily Wages earner 24.6%, students 8.2%, origian farmers engaged in farming 7.0%, other business 13.4%, housewife 14.6%,selfemployed11.3%RetiredPerson1.0%.

MaharashtraWorstHit:

Figureno4focusedonthefarmersStatewise farmerssuicide7accidentaldeath and In India in 2021, Maharashtra was the worst-hit state with at least 4,064 agrariansuicidecases,ofwhich2,640werefarmers.Atleast2,429farmerswere engaged in cultivating their land with or without the assistance of agricultural labourers.Theremaining211werecultivatingonleasedland/employedonlease orworkingonothers'landwithorwithouttheassistanceofagriculturallabourers.

MaharashtrawasfollowedbyKarnatakawhichreported2,169suicides,including 1,170 farmers. Five states: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, MadhyaPradeshandTamilNadu–recordedabout80percentoftotalsuicidesin thefarmingsectorandabout85percentoffarmers'suicide.

FigureNo3 FigureNo.4

State-wiseSuicideinFarmingSector(2021):

Ontheotherhand,thereportshowedstateslikeWestBengal,Bihar,Jharkhand, Odisha, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry reported zero suicides of farmers/cultivators as well as agricultural labourers. In addition, Goa, Gujarat, and Mizoram also recordedzeroagrariansuicidecases.

FigureNo.5

WhyAreFarmerSuicideRatesSoHigh?

1. FinancialStress-constantfinancialpressurerelatedtothe“FarmCrisis”and ongoingdroughtandfloodwhichaddtotheeconomicproblems.

2. Sense of Loss- repeated sense of hopelessness, loss of crops, loss of land, lossofincome,lossofcommunity,lossoffamilyfarm,lossofawayoflife.

3. Loss of independence and control: many of the issues are not within the farmer'scontrol-disease,weather,governmentpolicy,butthedebtsarepersonal.

4. UntreatedMentalIllness-Lackofaccesstomentalhealthservicesinrural areasandthestigmaattachedtotreatment.

5. Depressionarisingfromexposuretoagriculturalchemicals/pesticidesmay increasetheriskformooddisordersandultimatelysuicide.

6. Whilethepricesofcropshavebeenpusheddown-oftenevenbelowthecost of production -the prices of inputs such as seed, fertilizers and pesticides havegoneup.

7. With limited resources, farmers depend on borrowed money to purchase seedsandotherinputsandtofarmtheirland.Adropintheirfarm income couldquicklyleadtofarmersowingmorethantheyown.

8. Geographicalremotenessandthepotentialforsocialisolation.

9. ChemicalsandDroughtproducezeroyield-Theoveruseofchemicalfertilizers caused the soil to become infertile.This, coupled with a reduction in thegeneticvarietyofcrops,andthreeyearsofdroughtledtozeroyield.Withoutcropstosellfarmerswereunabletopaytheirdebts.

Studiesonagrariancrisis:

ForupliftmentofthefarmersthereisneedforajointinitiativebyStateGovernment,CentralGovernmentand FinancialInstitutions.Thereis needof,Timely andadequatesupportbywayofcredittofarmerswithfocusingsmallandmarginalfarmerstohavethemmodernequipmentforimprovedagriculturalproductivity ToissueKisanCreditCardstoalltheeligiblefarmerstohavethemaccess togetST,MTandLTloanfromallthebanks.ToformtheSHGsofTenantfarmers/ share croppers & agricultural workers and give them micro-credit through banks.Encouragethefarmerstoadoptalliedactivitieslikedairy,fishery,poultry etc.withfarmingactivities.Diversification/croprotationinagriculturalproductioninchangedscenario.

(i) Casestudyonfarmer'ssuicidesbyProf.K.Nagraj(MadrasInstituteof Development

Studies):

AccordingtotheReportofProf.K.NagrajofMadrasInstituteofDev Studies,theGeneralSuicideRate(GSR)(overallsuicidesper1lakhpopulation) inthecountrybetweentheperiod1997to2005was10.6,whereastheFarmersSuicideRate(FSR)was12.9andtheRatioofFSRtoGSRwas1:1.2.In MaharashtrathepositionwasalarmingwithGSRat15.1andFSRat29.9. AccordingtoProf.NagrajAnnualCompoundGrowthRate(ACGR)forall suicides at 2.18% is lower than the Population Growth Rate. The data revealsthattheworstpositionofthefarmersinMaharashtraisinVidarbha region.TheStudyalsoshowsthealacrityoftheproblem,somuchsothaton anaverageonefarmertookhis/herlifeevery53minutesbetween1997and 2005. State wise position of suicides in other States in critical group was Andhra Pradesh–16770, Karnataka–20093 & Madhya Pradesh (including Chattisgarh)–23588.

(ii) Study of Agricultural Indebtedness by Expert Group - Prof. Radhakrishna:

According to the studyAgricultural indebtedness is not the main cause of farmers suicides but stagnation in agriculture, marketing risks, collapse of

extension system, growing institutional vacuum and lack of livelihood opportunitiesaretheprimarycauses.AccordingtotheReportthedeclinein returnsfromagriculturehasresultedininabilityoffarmerstorepaydebtand thishastriggeredFarmerssuicide.

(iii) Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) Report - (submitted in March 2005studyonsampleof36(5%)of644suicidecases): AsperthedirectionofMumbaiHighCourtonaPublicInterestLitigation, TataInstituteofSocialScience(TISS)conductedastudyonanagrariancrisisandthereportwassubmittedintheyear2005.Thesalientfeaturesofthe reportareasunder:

Ÿ Suicidesoccurredamonglargelandholders&downtothelandless

Ÿ Cycles of debt and destitution led to suicide of the head of the family The survivors were reduced to landlessness due to debt.Among those committed included medium and large landowners who were also affectedbyahighlevelofun-payabledebt.

Ÿ Farmersdidnothaveaccesstoextensionmachineryofthegovernment ingivingsoundinformationonhowtodealwithpestsanddecliningproductivityofland.

Ÿ Farmers are dependent on agents of fertilizer and pesticide companies foradviceon seedsandcropcare.Theinformationbaseofthefarmers is,thus,limitedtothedataprovidedbytheagentsandtheirproducts.A falseperceptionofprosperityisbeing createdinthemindsofthecultivatorsthatpromptthemtotakeseriousrisksintermsoffertilizer-based croppingpattern.

Ÿ MinimumSupportPricehasnotbeenavailabletoallfarmers,particularlythesmallandmarginalfarmers.

Ÿ Causescommonacrosscategorieswere:

Ÿ Repeatedcropfailure,

Ÿ Inability to meet the rising cost of production (farmers have been spending moreonfertilizersevenwhilecropperformancehasbeen showinga decliningtrend).

Ÿ Indebtednessduetoahostofreasonsrangingfromadaughter'smarriagetodiggingawellwhicheventuallyborenowater,

Ÿ These causes arose out of a larger picture of globalisation & the resultantneglectofagriculturalcommunityinIndia

PackageofCentralGovernment:

PrimeMinistervisitedtheVidarbharegioninJuly2006andannouncedapackage of Rs.3750 crores to the families of the farmers in Maharashtra. Under the package,anadditionalcreditofRs.1275wasearmarkedfordisbursementinthe identified region. Entire interest on overdue loan was waived and principal rescheduledfor3to5years.Theotherimportantcomponentsofthepackageare asunder:

PM'sPackage–goal&means: 1. Establishmentofsustainableandviablefarming,livelihoodsupportsystemthrough: a. Completecreditcoverthroughinstitutionalcreditsources b. Debtreliefbyrestructuringoverdueloansandinterestwaiver c. Assuredirrigationfacilities

Effectivewatershedmanagement

Seedreplacementprogram

Subsidiary income opportunities through horticulture, livestock, dairying,fisheries,etc. g. Betterextensionandfarmingsupportservicesandimprovedmarketing facilities 2. Components&targets: a. Ex-gratiaassistancefromPMNRF–Rs.50lakhperdistrict b. Debtrelieftofarmers–Re-schedulingofODloanasonJune30,2006 c. Freshcredittofarmers. d. Interest waiver – Entire OD interest as on July 1, 2006, to be shared equallybyCenterandState e. Assured irrigation facilities – Completion of all major, medium and

minor irrigation projects sanctioned underAIBPand RIDF in 3 years time.

3. Seedreplacementprogram: 4. 50%subsidyforqualityseedover3years(entitlement1ha/farmer)

5. WatershedDevelopment: a. constructionofcheckdams–500perdistrictperyearfor3years

b. areatreatmentunderwatersheddevelopment-15000haperdistrictper yearfor3years

c. constructionofrainwaterharvestingstructuresbySC/ST/SF/MFbeneficiarieswith50%bankloanand50%backendedsubsidy-1000beneficiariesperdistrictperyearfor3years

6. HorticultureDevelopment:

a. AlldistrictstobecoveredunderNationalHorticultureMission

b. LaunchingofaTechnologyMissiononCitrus

7. MicroIrrigation:AlldistrictstobecoveredunderSchemeofMicroIrrigationforpropagationofDripandSprinklerIrrigation

8. Extension Services: All districts to be covered underATMA(Agriculture Technology ManagementAgencies) to ensure extension support and convergenceatdistrictlevel

PackageoftheStateGovernment: Government of Maharashtra announced the special package of Rs.1075 crores fortheaffectedfamiliesasunder:1. Immediaterelieftothefamilymembersofthefarmerswhocommitted suicide(Rs.1lakhtoeachfamily) 2. Reschedulingoftheoutstandingcroploanandsubsidyoninteresttothe indebtedfarmers(Rs.225crores). 3. Banonillegalprivatelendingandlegalizingoflicensedmoneylenders. 4. Limitingtheinterestpayabletotheoriginalprincipalamount. 5. DisbursingcroploanthroughFarmersSelfHelpGroups. 6. Enhancedsubsidyoncropinsurancepremium(Rs.30crores). 7. Financialassistance(forlanddevelopment)toacquirefarmequipment, inputs like seeds/ pest control measures & bio-fertilizers (Rs.150 crores)

Promotionofagrobasedsubsidiarylivelihoodoptions(LoanstofarmersforDairy,GoateryandPoultry)(Rs.30crores).

Promotion of agro-processing industries through cooperative system (Govt.share1:5)

PromotionofJointcottonfarming.

Financialassistanceformasscommunitymarriages(Rs.6crores)

RepaymentofamountofCapitalOperationFund(Rs.370crores)

ThereisanoldsayinginMarathi"Farmertakesthebirthindebtanddieinthe same condition". This was the position of farmers before independence and it stillcontinueafter60yearsofindependence.IfweanalysethesuicidesbyfarmersinMaharashtraitisrevealedthatitishigherinVidarbharegionoftheState wherefarmerspreferredcultivationof"whitegold"i.e.cotton-ariskyventure thatsufferedduetonon-availabilityofqualityseedscoupledwiththefarmersor incapacitytobuycostlyBt.cottonseeds.Theycouldalsonotgetremunerative pricefortheirproduce.AccordingtoDr M.S.Swaminathan,although60%people in India depend on agriculture and Agriculture Sector contributes 25% of National Income over the period investment and production in agriculture has declined.Indevelopedworldthepercentageofdependenceofpopulationonagricultureismuchlesse.g.inUSAitisonly2%andincomefromagricultureisjust 4%.

Therearerelatedissuesofqualityforexportandcompetitioninglobalmarket. Theanswertothequestionastowhythefarmersarecommittingsuicides?liesin acombinationoffactorssuchascropfailure,shiftingtomoreprofitablebutrisky (in terms of output, quality and prices) cash crops like cotton/ sugarcane/ soyabean, exorbitant rate of interest and other terms and conditions of loans availed from money lenders, lack of non farm opportunities, unwillingness to adopttoscientificpractices,nonavailabilityoftimelycreditfromformalchannel,absenceofproperclimate/incentivefortimelyrepaymentofbankloan,etc. Atsomeplaceseventhoughwaterisavailablebutcan'tbeexploitedfullydueto insufficientpowersupply Hugeexpenditureonchildren'seducationandsudden demandofmoneyforhealthconsiderationsandmarriage,etc.inthefamilyare alsomajorcontributorsforstressinfarmingcommunity Inconsistencyofrainfallduringmonsoon,absenceofsupportmechanismformarketingofagriculture producealsocontributedtouncertaintyandfinancialriskofthefarmers.Tocommitsuicideisnotnormalbutgenerallyoccurredforfarmersduetofearofpressureofmoneylenderse.g.iftheyfailtorepaytheloantheirlandwillbeforcibly takenaway Theireconomicconditioninmanycaseschangestosuchasextent thatthefarmersareunabletofacethesociety Inthissituationoflonelinessandin absenceofanyinstitutionalorsocialmechanismtofallbackupon,farmerswere forcedtocommitsuicide.Forfarmerstocomeoutofthestressfulsituationasystemtoaddressthevariousissuesdiscussedintheearlierparagraphshavetobe evolved through an institutional mechanism with necessary arrangement for reviewandfollowup.Arehabilitationprogrammewhichaddressesrepaymentof overdueinterest,supplyofqualityinputsfornextcrop,insuranceagainstnatural calamity,opportunityofsupplementaryincomethroughnonfarmactivities,provisionofforwardlinkagesuchasmarketingandstorage,extensionservices,etc. hastobedevisedandimplemented.

RehabilitationPackage:

ForrehabilitationofdistressfarmersandtheirfamilymembersCentralaswellas State Government has announced the special packages in the State of Maharashtra.

PackageofCentralGovernment:

PrimeMinistervisitedtheVidarbharegioninJuly2006andannouncedapackage of Rs.3750 crores to the families of the farmers in Maharashtra. Under the package,anadditionalcreditofRs.1275wasearmarkedfordisbursementinthe identified region. Entire interest on overdue loan was waived and principal rescheduledfor3to5years.Theotherimportantcomponentsofthepackageare asunder:

PM'sPackage–goal&means

Establishment of sustainable and viable farming, livelihood support system through:

Ÿ Completecreditcoverthroughinstitutionalcreditsources

Ÿ

Debtreliefbyrestructuringoverdueloansandinterestwaiver

Ÿ Assuredirrigationfacilities

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Promotion of agro-processing industries through cooperative system (Govt.share1:5)

PromotionofJointcottonfarming.

Financialassistanceformasscommunitymarriages(Rs.6crores)

Ÿ RepaymentofamountofCapitalOperationFund(Rs.370crores)

Ÿ

Financialassistancetocottongrowers(Rs.134crores)

Ÿ

Ÿ

OrganicFarmingTechnologyMission(Rs.30crores)

VidarbhaWatershedMission(Rs.100crores)

Ÿ

Ÿ

EstablishmentofHelplineforfarmers

iii) LoanwaiverproposedinBudget2008-09:

Highlights:

All agricultural loans disbursed by scheduled commercial banks, regional ruralbanksandcooperativecreditinstitutionsuptoMarch31,2007andoverdueasonDecember31,2007willbewrittenoffinrespectofsmallandmarginalfarmers.

Inrespectofotherfarmers,therewillbeaonetimesettlement(OTS)scheme forallloansthatwereoverdueonDecember31,2007andwhichremained unpaiduntilFebruary29,2008.UndertheOTS,arebateof25percentwillbe givenagainstpaymentofthebalanceof75percent.

Ÿ

Agricultural loans were restructured and rescheduled by banks in 2004 and2006throughspecialpackages.Theserescheduledloans,andotherloans rescheduledinthenormalcourseasperRBIguidelines,willalsobeeligible eitherforawaiveroranOTSonthesamepattern.

Theimplementationofthedebtwaiveranddebtreliefschemewillbecompleted by June 30, 2008. Upon being granted debt waiver or signing an agreement for debt relief under the OTS, the farmer would be entitled to freshagriculturalloansfromthebanksinaccordancewithnormalrules.

Ÿ Governmentestimatesthataboutthreecroresmallandmarginalfarmersand aboutonecroreotherfarmerswillbenefitfromthescheme.Thetotalvalue ofoverdueloansbeingwaivedisestimatedatRs.50,000croreandtheOTS reliefontheoverdueloansisestimatedatRs.10,000crore.

ItisproposedtocreateafundofRs.5,000/-croreinNABARDtoenhanceits refinanceoperationstoshorttermcooperativecreditinstitutions.

Importantmeasures:-

Ÿ

Effectivewatershedmanagement

Ÿ Seedreplacementprogram

Ÿ

Subsidiary income opportunities through horticulture, livestock, dairying,fisheries,etc.

Ÿ Betterextensionandfarmingsupportservicesandimprovedmarketing facilities

ii) PackageoftheStateGovernment:

Government of Maharashtra announced the special package of Rs. 1075 croresfortheaffectedfamiliesasunder:-

Ÿ

Immediaterelieftothefamilymembersofthefarmerswhocommitted suicide(Rs.1lakhtoeachfamily)

Ÿ Reschedulingoftheoutstandingcroploanandsubsidyoninteresttothe indebtedfarmers(Rs.225crores).

Ÿ Banonillegalprivatelendingandlegalizingoflicensedmoneylenders.

Ÿ imitingtheinterestpayabletotheoriginalprincipalamount.

Ÿ DisbursingcroploanthroughFarmersSelfHelpGroups.

Ÿ Enhancedsubsidyoncropinsurancepremium(Rs.30crores).

Ÿ Financialassistance(forlanddevelopment)toacquirefarmequipment, inputslikeseeds/pestcontrolmeasures&bio-fertilisers(Rs.150crores)

Ÿ Promotionofagrobasedsubsidiarylivelihoodoptions(LoanstofarmersforDairy,GoateryandPoultry)(Rs.30crores).

Reschedulingofloansandwaivingofinterestuptotwoyearswherefarmers areaffectedbynaturalcalamitiesinrainfedareas.

Creationof`MoneylendersDebtRedemptionFund'. Ÿ

Timelyandhasslefreedeliveryofcreditbyreducingtransactioncosts. Ÿ IncreaseindeploymentofRuralInfrastructureDevelopmentFund.(RIDF) Ÿ

GovernmentshouldmakeeffortstofacilitatetheFormationofFederationof SHGsofsmallandmarginalfarmers. Ÿ

Allocation for expenditure on health of distress farmers and their family members. Ÿ

HealthInsuranceScheme`forthebenefitoffarmer'slivelihood. Ÿ

Bettermonitoringandimplementationoftheexistingpackageofrelief.

Short-term suggestions/ Recommendations forimmediate relief and rehabilitations: Ÿ

Immediate(adequate)compensationgivenonaprioritybasistofamiliesof victims; Ÿ

Ex-gratiapaymentofRs.2.5lakhforfamiliestomeetloanrepaymentsand livewithsomelevelofdignity; Ÿ

Comprehensiveinsurancesafetynet; Ÿ

Revampingofextensionservicesinlineswithe-choupals;and, Ÿ

Dissemination of information such as agricultural prices and methods of low-costorganicfarming.

Long-termrecommendations: Ÿ

Fundamental policy changes to factor in the fluctuating production cost in

Ÿ

theMinimumSupportPricemechanism;

To integrate surface and groundwater irrigation schemes and integrate the linedepartmentsinorderthattheschemesareimplementedefficiently;

Ÿ

Ÿ

Policy changes to focus on farmers rather than seed and fertilizer corporations;and

Setupofacommissionwithstatutorypowersthattakesdecisionsonissues such as genetic modification technology and its impact on Indian agriculture,agriculturepricingpolicyandcroppingpattern.

CONCLUSION:

Theproblemsofagriculturalindebtednessisintimatelylinkedwithissueofundesirableinputuse,constantlyincreasinginputcost,volatilecroppricesanddifficultiesinassessingmarket.Therefore,itistotheseaspectsofproductionconditionsinagriculturethatpolicyinterventionmustnowbedirected.

ForupliftmentofthefarmersthereisneedforajointinitiativebyStateGovernment,CentralGovernmentandFinancialInstitutions.Thereisneedof,

i) Timelyandadequatesupportbywayofcredittofarmerswithfocusing small and marginal farmers to have them modern equipment for improvedagriculturalproductivity

ii) To issue Kisan Credit Cards to all the eligible farmers to have them accesstogetST,MTandLTloanfromallthebanks.

iii) To form the SHGs of Tenant farmers/ share croppers & agricultural workersandgivethemmicro-creditthroughbanks.

iv) Encouragethefarmerstoadoptalliedactivitieslikedairy,fishery,poultryetc.withfarmingactivities.

v) Diversification/croprotationinagriculturalproductioninchangedscenario.

vi) Adoptionofupgradedtechnologyinputsalongwithprovisionofinfrastructure inputs like power at subsidized cost, supply of inputs like seeds,fertilizers,tractorsandcreditprovisionthroughallnationalized banks.

vii) AdoptionofNon-Farmactivitieswithalliedagriculturalactivities.

viii)Arrangementsofmarketing/forwardlinkages/contractfarmingtosell theirproduceatremunerativeprices.Ifthesefacilitiesaregiventofarmerstheymayachieveself-sufficiencyinagriculturalproduction.There is need for major review of agricultural policy to meet the changing needsofbothproducersandconsumers.

REFERENCES:

I. FarmersSuicideinMaharashtraAn Overview,www Maharashtra.gov.in

II. YASHADA,TISS(TataInstituteofSocialSciences)andSakalAgroWonVidarbha Agrariancrisis/ReliefPackage/SocialWatchReport/GreenEarth/HelpAgeIndia AgrarianCrisis-nature,causes&remedies.

III. Farmerssuicides-P SainathCaseStudyofProf.K.Nagraj(MadrasInstituteofDev Studies)http://www.indiatogather.org/2007/nov/psa-mids1.htm

IV Suicide of Farmers in Maharashtra Background papers, Indira Gandhi Institute of DevelopmentResearch,Mumbai26jan2006.

V StudyonAgriculturalIndebtednessbyExpertGroup–ReportofProf.Radhakrishna

VI. THENEWS–www.thenews.com.pk/daily-detail.Asp

VII. Spot light/Even now farmers suicides inVidarbha indiainteracts com/gossip/ 2007/10/01/6335/evennow

VIII. ReportoftheExpertGrouponAgriculturalIndebtedness,MinistryofFinanceGovernmentofIndiaJuly2007.

IX. Green Earth Social Development Consulting Pvt Ltd www greenearth consulting.org

X. Farmerssuicides-byPandharipande-Nagpur

XI. WIKIPEDIA-FreeEncyclopedia

XII. AgrawalRimjim,“ResourcesPoorFarmersInSouthIndia–OntheMargingsorfrontiersofglobalization?,Researchpapaerno2006/97,seprmber2006.

XIII. BusinessIndia,July30,2006.

XIV Mohanty,B.B.2001,“SucidesoffarmersinMaharashtra:AsocioeconomicAnalysis“,Reviewofdevelopmentandchange. Vol.6No.2Ppl146-89