India is an agrarian country with around 70% of its people depending directly or indirectly upon agriculture. Farmer suicides account for 11.2% of all suicides in India. Recently published data by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has given some unusual reasons of farmer’s suicide.

Causes of farmers suicide in India?

• High indebtness and bankruptcy-

This is the most important reason for the high number of suicides in India. Earlier it was thought that private moneylenders are responsible for suicides of indebtness. But the recent data from NCRB has shown some unusual reasons. According to National Crime Records Bureau’s latest farmer-suicides data, 80 per cent of farmers killed themselves in 2015 because of bankruptcy or debts after taking loans from banks and registered microfinance institutions. Of the over 3,000 farmers who committed suicides across the country in 2015 due to debt and bankruptcy, 2,474 had taken loans from banks or microfinance institutions.

Among states, Maharashtra (1,293) reported the maximum number of suicides due to “indebtedness”, followed by Karnataka (946) and Telangana (632). With 131 deaths, Telangana reported the highest number of suicides by farmers who took loans from moneylenders, with 131 deaths, followed by Karnataka (113).

• Drought-

As much as 79.5% of India’s farmland relies on flooding during monsoon season, so inadequate rainfall can cause droughts, making crop failure more common. In regions that have experienced droughts, crop yields have declined, and food for cattle has become scarcer. Agricultural regions that have been affected by droughts have subsequently seen their suicide rates increase

• Uneconomic landholdings-

The ground reality in India is that majority of farmers in India are small and marginalized. Cultivation on such small landholdings is not economically feasible. Large numbers of rural people do not even own land and work as wage laborer. Such farmers have become vulnerable to the suicidal tendencies.

• Role of middlemen and economic exploitation of farmers-

Exploitation by middlemen is one of the chief reasons for not getting best price for the produce for farmers. In some cases farmers have found difficult to meet ends of the day with the meager returns form the agriculture.

• Left leaning economists like Utsa Patnaik, Jayati Ghosh and Prabhat Patnaik suggest that structural changes in the macro-economic policy of Indian Government that favored privatization, liberalization and globalization is the root cause of farmer suicides.

How government can prevent these suicides-

• Need of special agricultural zones- just like Industrial zones there is urgent need of Agricultural zones where farming and farming related activities are promoted and sustained with the help from government.
• Need of modernizing agriculture- by introducing farm techniques which guarantee definite success, an increase in youth’s participation is possible. Government should strive to pass on benefits of technological advancement to small farmers
• Imparting scientific education to farmers-

Most of the farmers in India are unaware about best practices of agriculture, crops to be taken in particular soil types, best rotation practices, fertilizers to be used etc. It is responsibility of government to spread such awareness among farmers.

• Insurance of crops- the increasing unpredictable nature of weather has caused havoc in agricultural sector. Thus insurance is to be provided to all types of crops and particularly to the small farmers. Recently launched Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana is step in right direction. Its reach should be increased to cover all the farmers.
• Need of better water management- India is facing more frequent droughts than ever. It has hampered the availability of water in most of the states in India. Only 43% of the farm land in India is irrigated. Therefore Government has to take urgent steps in increasing irrigational facilities like drip irrigation. Further water management can be made more effective through inter-state cooperation on water resources. Maharashtra governments Jalyukta Shiwar Yojana is commendable in this respect.
• Alternate income resources- farmers should not depend on the agriculture solely particularly small and marginalized farmers. There need of diversification of income resources through co-occupations like Dairy, Poultry, fishing, Horticulture etc.
• Better prices for the produce- Farmer would be able to repay all his/her loan and live life of comfort if he/she gets best prices for his/her produce. The exploitation by middlemen should be stopped by reforming the APMC acts. Further recently launched e-NAM scheme has potential to provide good prices for the agricultural produce.

Conclusion-

The recently emerging trend where loans taken from banks and microfinance are propelling farmers to suicide is disturbing. The government has promised to double the income of farmers by 2022. Government should take all the necessary steps as farmers would be in position to live a better life only when his/her income rises.