3. Agenda
Indian Farmer’s Crisis: History and Background
Why, Where and How is it happening?
Cotton Farmers
Vidarbha, State of Maharashtra
Case Study
Responses to farmers' suicides
Suggestions & Recommendations to alleviate the
present situation
Conclusion
References
4. Indian Farmer’s Crisis:
History and Background
The Indian, largest body of surviving small farmers in the
world, today faces a crisis of extinction.
Farming Dislinked and Linked
Chemicals and Drought produce zero yield in late 1980s
1997 witnessed the first emergence of farm suicides in India.
In 1998, the World Bank’s structural adjustment policies
forced India to open up its seed sector to global
corporations.
5. Why is it happening?
A shift from ‘food first to trade first’ &‘farmer first to
corporate first’.
Dramatic fall in prices of farm produce as a result of
free trade policies of the WTO.
The deficiencies in institutional and infrastructures
factor
Deregulation of markets and withdrawal of state from
effective price regulation, leading to collapse in price
of farm commodities.
6. The Tipping-point
A crop failure, an unexpected health expense or the
marriage of a daughter are perilous to the livelihood of
these farmers
Suicide has spread like an epidemic among the
distraught farmers.
Many farmers have committed suicide by drinking the
very pesticides that no longer work on their crops.
7. Where is it happening?
Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Madhya Pradesh
Kerala
Uttar Pradesh
Gujarat
8. Where is it happening?
Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Madhya Pradesh
Kerala
Uttar Pradesh
Gujarat
Source: http://agrariancrisis.in
9. The number of farmers
committing suicide is staggering
Total 2,84,694 farmers have taken their
lives since 1995 -2012 in 18 years.
The farmers’ suicide rate (FSR/SMR) was
16.3 per 100,000 farmers in 2012.
On average, there has been one farmer’s
suicide every 42 minutes since 2012.
68 per cent of all the 13,754 (in 2012) farm
suicides took place in ‘Big 4’
Source: NCRB, 2012 & Report of Prof. K. Nagraj of Madras Institute of Dev. Studies
11. Farmer Suicide: no end to despair
2012
3,786
2,572
1,875
1,081
1,172
745
499
564
270
276
344
1
4
10
10
10
11
14
18
19
68
75
119
146
29
Goa
Chhattisgarh
Jammu & Kashmir
Mizoram
Meghalaya
Arunachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Tripura
Sikkim
Himachal Pradesh
Bihar
Punjab
Jharkhand
Odisha
Rajasthan
Haryana
Assam
Tamil Nadu
Gujarat
Uttar Pradesh
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh
Karnataka
Andhra Pradesh
Maharashtra
Source: Wikipedia
12. Common features in majority
of suicides
91-94 % of suicides are by family heads
91-97 % of those who committed suicide
are males
84 to 89 percent are married
98 percent had no access to irrigation
13. Age Classification of Suicide Victims
3409
9310
1035
10000
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Upto 29 Years 30 to 59 Years 60 Years & Above
Source: http://www.downtoearth.org.in
14. Women farmer, too, commit suicide
Tough battles for bank
loans
Schooled herself in seeds
and fertilizers
Drought and Crop Failed
No Family member go
hungry
Undefined Sacrifice
14%
86%
Farmer Suicide Cases (Female)
Farmer Suicide Cases (Male)
Source: http://www.downtoearth.org.in
15. How is it happening?
Deterioration of economic condition
Continuous crop failure
Improper and unstable price
Bank loan
High cost technology
Family expenditure
Marriage expenditure
Government Support
16. Problems in Agriculture Supply Chain
Farmer
30%
Village
Commission
Agent
15%
District
Commission
Agent
20%
Processor
15%
Wholesaler
5%
Retailer
15%
Consumer
100%
Source: Farm Digest Journal
17. Cotton Farmers
2/3rd of farm suicides take place in 4
cotton-growing States
Bt cotton is a genetically modified (GM) crop
Clone Seeds Certification process and
Regulation on companies and Dealers
Role of State Government
Credit System and Debt Trap
Increasing cost of agriculture inputs and
Reduced price of agriculture produces
18. Pesticide Trap Affect Farmer
[Issue] [Best practices to improve recruiting process ROI]
[Time-to-hire]
[Quality-of-hire]
[Number of
vacancies
outstanding]
[Cost-per-hire]
[Longevity-of-hires]
[Recruit
source
effectiveness]
[Time-to-productivity
[Determine items critical to business success.]
[Measure preprocess and postprocess or technology
implementation.]
[Compare vacancies against industry-leading
benchmarks.]
[Have vendors work to provide models and tools for
collecting and evaluating data.]
[Report performance regularly as part of standard
management reporting package.]
[Develop programs to address process deficiencies in
individual benchmark areas.]
Source: http://www.ecotippingpoints.org
19. Effects of Fiscal deficit on credit cycle
& farmers suicide
Source: http://www.arthakranti.org/
20. Vidarbha, State of Maharashtra
Home to 3.2 million cotton farmers.
Geographical Status
Major Affected Districts
farmers’ suicide still 2012
One suicide in every eight hours
21. Age Group of the suicide farmers
in Vidarbha
1%
35%
52%
12%
0-19 Year
20-39 Year
40-59 Year
Above 60
Years
Source: Farmers Suicides in Vidarbha, By Dr. Sangita Warade
22. Educational Status of the suicide
farmers in Vidarbha
12%
19%
19%
42%
8% Illiterate
Primary School
Middle School
High School
College
Source: Farmers Suicides in Vidarbha, By Dr. Sangita Warade
23. Distribution of Farmers as per size of
holding (Ha) in Vidharbha
16%
17%
3%
31% 33%
0-0.99
1-1.99
2-3.99
4-9.99
Above 10
Source: Farmers Suicides in Vidarbha, By Dr. Sangita Warade
24. Case Study in Vidarbha-1
This family belongs to the SC group. The total landholding is 2 acres,
with one acre irrigated. The major crops are cotton, jowar, tur, wheat
and groundnut. He was a cultivator and a labourer. He belonged to the
below poverty line (BPL) group. He incurred a loan of Rs. 45,000/-
for the purchase of a bullock cart, but was unable to pay the loan for
the last seven years. He had a fall from the tractor and was not able to
work after that. Money had to be spent for his treatment. He then
stayed with a cultivator as a labourer. He returned back to his house
and committed suicide on 05.11.09.
No government compensation was offered to the family.
25. Case Study in Vidarbha-2
This family belongs to the high caste group. The total landholding is
four acres. The major crops are cotton, jowar and tur. He had incurred
loans from the moneylender, bank and relatives to the tune of
Rs. 90,000/- since the last five years and had turned a defaulter on all
the loans since the last four years. Crop failure, compounded by
expenditure incurred due to marriage, and an appendicitis operation
led to his suicide on 18.04.10. His younger son has sold of the property
and left the village.
No government compensation was offered to the family
26. Responses to farmers' suicides
2006 relief package
Agricultural debt waiver and debt relief scheme, 2008
Maharashtra Bill to regulate farmer loan terms, 2008
Maharashtra relief package, 2010
Kerala Farmers’ Debt Relief Commission (Amendment)
Bill, 2012
2013 diversify income sources package
27. Suggestions & Recommendations to
alleviate the present situation
A comprehensive Agricultural Insurance Scheme
Organic farming and Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Biodiversity must be the basis of production to reduce
vulnerability to climate and markets.
Strongest action under Indian Penal Code should be taken
against suppliers and manufactures of spurious pesticides.
Suppliers of spurious/inferior seeds must be
punished
28. Suggestions & Recommendations to
alleviate the present situation
Institutionalized Credit System to the farmers must
be simplified.
Role Gram Panchayats
Extension agencies with a vision of eco-friendly sustainable
development.
The role of commission agents, traders and intermediaries
should be minimized
Agriculture policy needs to shift from its current bias of
‘corporates first’ to ‘farmers first’.
29. Conclusion
From Suicide Relief to Suicide Prevention
Multiple Livelihood Opportunities
Traditional Knowledge & Modern Science
Before advising farmers, listen to them
Social and Political Support toward famer
30. References
Sainath P.: “Farmers suicides”: Case Study of Prof. Nagraj K. (Madras Institute of Dev. Studies):
Website http://www.indiatogather.org/ 2012/nov/psa-mids1.htm
Uma Sudhir: “Women farmers who commit suicide ignored by state”:
Website http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/
Swaminathan M.S. (2010): “From Green to Evergreen Revolution”:
New Delhi :Academic Foundation.
Deshpande R.S. and Saroj Arora (2010): “Agrarian Crisis and Farmer Suicides”:
New Delhi: SAGE Publications.
YASHADA, TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences) and Sakal Agro Won Vidarbha
Agrarian crisis/ Relief Package/ Social Watch Report/ Green Earth/ Help Age India
Agrarian Crisis - nature, causes & remedies.
Aparna Pallavi: “farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra”:
Website http://www.downtoearth.org.in/
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