40% rise in farmer suicides in Maharashtra

[Hindustani78]

Two cotton growers commit suicide in Prakasam - The Hindu

Farmer suicides continued unabated in Prakasam district with two more ryots ending their lives in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 21 in the last nine months.

A 40-year-old cotton grower committed suicide in Chenchureddypalem near Gudluru in Prakasam district on Friday. Gudluru assistant sub-inspector P. Venkateswara Rao said Boyina Elisha hanged himself in his house after admitting his daughter who is in an advanced stage of pregnancy in the Government Hospital at Kandukur.

The farmer was deep in debt following the failure of his crop for four consecutive years, the ASI said.

Mr Elisha owned three acres of land and took four more acres on leased to raise cotton crop this year, hoping to recoup losses. But the low prices of cotton put paid to his hope.

According to preliminary information available with the police, the farmer had taken a crop loan of Rs 2 lakh. An investigation is going on into the case, the ASI said.

Gudluru mandal revenue officer Mercy Kumari conducted an inquest.

In another incident, a 62-year-old tobacco grower, V. Chinapolu Reddy, consumed pesticide on Wednesday, unable to bear the mounting losses. He died while undergoing treatment in a private hospital late on Thursday, Pamuru sub-inspector V. Sambasivaiah said.

Chinapolu Reddy, owner of three acres of land, had taken four more acres on lease to raise cotton this year. The tobacco grower with two barns had raised tobacco after getting a loan of Rs. 6 lakh from a public sector bank, but had incurred a loss of over Rs. 2.5 lakh owing to adverse market conditions, the SI said.

The farmer, who also had some health problems, took the extreme step as he had been under pressure to clear loans of over Rs. 10 lakh taken from private money lenders in the past. He was also worried about future of his two married daughters estranged from their husbands, the SI added.

Meanwhile, Tobacco Board Southern Light Soil Regional Manager G. Ratnasagar handed over Rs. 50,000 to the kin of the farmer towards funeral expenses. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham leader K.V.V. Prasad urged Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to pay attention to the increasing cost of farm inputs and un-remunerative price for the produce.

As many as 21 farmers have resorted to extreme steps in the last nine month

 

[Hindustani78]

12 more farmers end life in Telangana over debts | Deccan Chronicle

Hyderabad: Twelve more farmers committed suicide in Telangana on Saturday due to crop failure and indebtedness. Failure of cotton crop drove seven farmers to end their life by consuming pesticide.

While six farmers committed suicide in Nalgonda, four suicides were reported from Karimnagar and two from Warangal. In Karimnagar, Pillamarri Jagan, 42, who consumed pesticide four days ago, died during treatment in a hospital He is from Arnakonda of Choppadandi mandal. He owned three acres in which he raised cotton and paddy.

He was depressed over his inability to repay his loan of Rs 3 lakh for taking up cultivation. Another cotton farmer, Kandela Rajamouli, 47, consumed pesticide. He reportedly took loans to grow crops in his 3-acre land at Nimmagudem of Mahamuttaram mandal. He died on way to the hospital.

 

[Rau]

Mr Elisha owned three acres of land and took four more acres on leased to raise cotton crop this year, hoping to recoup losses. But the low prices of cotton put paid to his hope.

Cotton was major reason behind the farmer suicide in Vidarbha region.The number would be higher if Soybean not there. Soybean can get you good price and its ability to withstand water shortage (when there is no rain for longer period),most importantly, farmer get cash on the day he sell it unlike cotton where you need to wait for months to get money.

 

[Hindustani78]

Cotton was major reason behind the farmer suicide in Vidarbha region.The number would be higher if Soybean not there. Soybean can get you good price and its ability to withstand water shortage (when there is no rain for longer period),most importantly, farmer get cash on the day he sell it unlike cotton where you need to wait for months to get money.

DD Kishan channel can help farmers to understand the farming technology , seeds price, water requirement, harvesting , selling price etc.

Its heart aching that farmers are taking extreme steps and committing suicides.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Agriculture
05-October, 2015 14:50 IST
Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan Launched KISAN Project and Hailstorm App.

Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan today launched KISAN Project [C(K)rop Insurance using Space technology And geoiNformatics] of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & FW, Ministry of Agriculture and FW. The project envisages use of Space Technology and geoinformatics (GIS, GPS and Smartphone) technology along with high resolution data from UAV/Drone based imaging for improvement in yield estimation and better planning of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs), needed for crop insurance programme.

The Pilot Study is proposed to be launched in one District each of Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra during Kharif season of 2015 and two Districts each of these States during Rabi season of 2015-16. While launching the project Hon’ble MoS informed that once the Pilot Study is successful, it will be extended to the other parts of the country. The KISAN project will be implemented by Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC), an attached Office of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & FW, in collaboration with ISRO Centres (Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad & National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad), India Meteorological Department, CCAFS, State Agriculture Departments and State Remote Sensing Centres.

Dr. Balyan also launched an Android App. Designed by ISRO (National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad). This App will help real time data collection about hailstorm occurrences along with photographs and geographical coordinates (longitude and latitude). The Minister informed that App will help Government to get real time data about the Hailstorms which will be collected through the Agriculture Department officials of different States. This will support in deciding the crop loss more objectively and in a very fast manner.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan addressing at the launch of the Pilot Study - “KISAN” and the Android App for Hailstorm Data Collection, in New Delhi on October 05, 2015.

 

[Hindustani78]

Farmer ends life in Belagavi - The Hindu

A 45-year-old farmer from Maskenhatti village, under Nandgad Police Station limits of Khanapur taluk, has committed suicide by consuming a pesticide.

He was allegedly under stress due to the inordinate delay in payment of sugarcane dues and losses due to the prevailing drought conditions on Saturday. The police said that Ningappa Hanumanthappa Gowda owned about 3 acres of land. He had taken up paddy in two acres and sugarcane in one acre.

But, the farmer suffered losses due to inadequate rainfall, which affected his standing crop. Delay in payment of sugarcane bills by a sugar mill only added to his stress. The police have registered a case and taken up investigation.

 

[Hindustani78]

Tenant farmer commits suicide in Khammam - The Hindu
Updated: October 6, 2015 15:28 IST
A tenant farmer allegedly killed himself by consuming pesticide in the leased agricultural land at Kotapadu village in Raghunadhapalem mandal around Monday midnight.

E. Seethaiah, 48, a tenant farmer, was found dead in a chilli field at Kotapadu in the early hours of Tuesday. According to sources, Seethaiah cultivated chilli and cotton crops on five acres of leased land by availing credit from private moneylenders in the Kharif season.

He nurtured hopes of reaping a good harvest this year and to make up for the losses he had suffered in agriculture two years ago. However, the erratic rainfall coupled with the mounting burden of loans and fear over crop prospects drove him to a state of depression.

Four farmers end life - The Hindu

Two farmers committed suicide in Adilabad district on Monday owing to failure of cotton and soya crop and mounting debts.

According to police, S. Sukender Reddy consumed pesticide at Pichera village in Talamadugu mandal after failure of cotton and soya bean in 10 acres, seven of which were taken on lease.

Sukender Reddy owed Rs. 4.5 lakh to banks and private money lenders. Similarly, Solanki Narsing of Boath mandal hung himself from the ceiling of his house following failure of his soya bean crop and debt reaching Rs. 2.5 lakh.

Nalgonda Staff Reporter writes: A 60-year-old farmer committed suicide by hanging himself on Monday. The deceased was identified as Medaboina Ilaiah, 60, resident of Mannevaripalley of Bhongir rural mandal.

The kin of the deceased said that he was in deep debts since he suffered loss in agriculture during the past two years.

Medak Staff Reporter writes: Pitla Anjaiah, 55, a farmer of Bandlaposanpally village in Veldurthi mandal, committed suicide by hanging himself at his house. The incident took place on Sunday night. According to sources, Anjaiah dug three bores wells and all of them failed. In addition, the crops too failed for the past two years, and he had to spend Rs. 1 lakh toward the medical treatment of his son, Manohar, who met with an accident. All this led to huge debts and forced him to take the extreme step. His body was shifted to government hospital for post mortem.

 

[Hindustani78]

The grief-stricken family members ofE. Seethaiah, who committed suicide, at Kotapadu in Khammam district on Tuesday.- PHOTO: G.N. RAO
Two farmers end life - The Hindu
A tenant farmer allegedly killed himself by consuming pesticide in the leased agricultural land at Kotapadu village in Raghunadhapalem mandal around Monday midnight.

Eddem Seethaiah, 45, a tenant farmer, was found dead in a chilli field at Kotapadu in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to sources, Seethaiah cultivated chilli and cotton crops on five acres of leased land by availing credit from private moneylenders in the kharif season.

He nurtured hopes of reaping a good harvest this year and to make up for the losses he had suffered in agriculture two years ago.

However, the erratic rainfall coupled with the mounting burden of loans and fear over crop prospects drove him to a state of depression.

Seethaiah’s wife, who had gone to see their ailing daughter at the latter’s in-laws house in a nearby town, rushed to the village in the early hours of Tuesday on hearing the news of tragic end of her husband, sources said.

Nalgonda Staff Reporter writes: A 23-year-old farmer committed suicide by consuming pesticide at Buddharam village of Nalgonda mandal.

The deceased identified as Avula Shekar. He cultivated cotton and other crops on his five acre land but lost hope of getting better yield.

His kin said that was in deep debts as he suffered huge losses in f

Two farmers commit suicide

Mudigere/Mysuru, October 8, 2015, DHNS:
Two debt-ridden farmers committed suicide in the State. Manjunath, 43, a resident of Taruve village in Mudigere taluk, had borrowed nearly Rs 3 lakh from various sources. His paddy crop was afflicted by blast disease. Being unable to repay and the loss of paddy crop pushed him to take the extreme step.

Lakshman, 55, a resident of Thimakapura village in Periyapatna taluk of Mysuru district, consumed pesticide and ended his life, allegedly due to debts, on Wednesday.

Lakshman had grown paddy and tobacco on his three-acre land. He had availed a loan of Rs 2.70 lakh from a cooperative society in the town, according to his wife Kamalamma.

 

[dadeechi]

Just like the human gene was modified for progression many millennia ago, time has come for us to modify the gene of the plants.

This menace could only be tackled by introducing pest resistant gene modified crops but don't mistake with the current GMO products on the market which does not allow the farmers to create their own seeds.

 

[Hindustani78]

Farmer throws himself in front of train, dies - The Hindu
Updated: October 8, 2015 05:45 IST

A farmer in Gadag district reportedly worried over mounting debts committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a moving train on Wednesday.

The farmer has been identified as Yallappa Padesur (65) of Balaganur village in Gada taluk.

Yallappa Padesur, who owned six acres of land, had taken loans to tune of around Rs. 4 lakh from a bank and from private moneylenders.

On Wednesday, he threw himself in front of the train that was bound for Bagalkot from Gadag.

Sources said that the farmer was served a notice by a bank for non-payment of loan.

The Gadag Rural Police have registered a case.

 

[Hindustani78]

Farmers blocking rail traffic at Khalchian village near Amritsar in protest against poor price of rice.

 

[jamahir]

Just like the human gene was modified for progression many millennia ago, time has come for us to modify the gene of the plants.

This menace could only be tackled by introducing pest resistant gene modified crops but don't mistake with the current GMO products on the market which does not allow the farmers to create their own seeds.

it is not just farming technology, it is the capitalist economics and wrong social system of india that is responsible for these suicides.

 

[Hindustani78]

it is not just farming technology, it is the capitalist economics and wrong social system of india that is responsible for these suicides.

Double standards in the WTO rules are exposed when India’s subsidies of $12 bn to its 500 mn farmers are considered ‘trade distorting’, while US subsidies of $120 bn to its 2 mn farmers are not.

The conflict between “free trade” and food rights came to the fore again at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations in September, when India did not back down from its stance that a permanent solution be found for food security issues before signing the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

The TFA is designed to push free trade further, with heavy losses to India’s food security. The US had challenged India at the WTO’s Bali Ministerial in 2013, on the ground that the Food Security Act adopted by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime would increase India’s food subsidies beyond levels allowed by the WTO.


The rules allow subsidies at 10 per cent of the value of agricultural produce. Oddly, the base year for India has been fixed at 1986-88. India, justifiably, is demanding that this date be changed to reflect the reality of food prices today. Double standards in the WTO rules are also exposed when one realises that India’s subsidies of $12 billion to its 500 million farmers are considered “trade distorting”, while US subsidies of $120 billion to its 2 million farmers are not. India’s subsidies are $25 per farmer, while US subsidies amounts to $60,000 per farmer — that’s 2,40,000 per cent more than Indian subsidies. Yet the US is threatening India and demanding the removal of support to its small and marginal farmers.

These are not rules of trade, but rules of manipulation written during the Uruguay Round of Trade Negotiations which led to the establishment of the WTO, by agribusiness corporations seeking to profit from India’s large food and agriculture market. The WTO debate on food and agriculture subsidies is actually intended to force India to stop supporting its farmers through procurement at the minimum support price (MSP) so that 1.25 billion Indians, including the 810 million covered by the Food Security Act, become a market for multinational corporations.

Seed sovereignty is the foundation of food sovereignty. Farmers’ suicides are linked to seed monopolies and high costs of seed. Seed must be put back in the farmers’ hands through creation of village seed banks and capacity-building in participatory and evolutionary breeding to deal with climate change.

Internationally, seed sovereignty requires ensuring that the mandatory TRIPs’ review of Article 27.3 (b) is completed. For food sovereignty we need to ensure that farmers do not fall into debt and are able to earn a dignified and fair income. While we need to defend our right to support farmers through MSP, it is evident that MSP is no longer covering costs of production. The government has, in fact, frozen MSP in 2013-2014. The alternative is to reduce costs of production by reducing dependence on chemicals and corporate seeds through ecological farming. This is why organic farming based on the principle of agroecology has become an imperative for food sovereignty.

 

[jamahir]

Seed must be put back in the farmers’ hands through creation of village seed banks and capacity-building in participatory and evolutionary breeding to deal with climate change.

that is no doubt a good idea, but it must be seen that capitalism ( interest-based loans especially ) and wrong social norms play a big role in these suicides, and there they must be corrected along with the idea you recommended...

just look at the easy life and material benefits people had in the libyan jamahiriya...

1. any person interested in engaging in farming was given free land by the system, along with seeds, tools needed and housing, for free.

2. electricity and water was free ( that too in a largely desert country ), and libya had history's largest irrigation system, "the great man-made river" project ( gmrr ).

3. housing for any citizen was to be lived rent-free until the resident wished... rent was considered a compromise on the freedom of the citizen and therefore anti-human.

4. medical system was free, and if treatment was available outside, the costs would be borne by the system.

5. education system was free, and if that course was available outside, the costs would be borne by the system.

6. education was of one's choice and could not be forced by parents or circumstance.

7. food was at low cost.

8. any person interested in establishing a business was given a start-up amount of 20,000 dollars, interest-free.

9. all loans were interest-free.

10. no private banks operated in libya.

11. for a person not in employment, he or she was given the average salary ( stipend ) for the person's choice of field of employment... in fact, this was a coming-down in later years from the early days of the al-fatah revolution... in 1979, a unemployed person was given 7000 dollars per month !!

12. libyan jamahiriya being socialist, all wasteful traditions were frowned upon, like 600-guest four-day weddings like what happens in south asia.

13. at weddings, the bride and groom were together given 50,000 dollars to help them set up a new home etc.

14. car purchase was subsidized by the system.

in such a socialist economic/political/social system, why would any farmer suicide??

 

[Hindustani78]

that is no doubt a good idea, but it must be seen that capitalism ( interest-based loans especially ) and wrong social norms play a big role in these suicides, and there they must be corrected along with the idea you recommended...

just look at the easy life and material benefits people had in the libyan jamahiriya...

1. any person interested in engaging in farming was given free land by the system, along with seeds, tools needed and housing, for free.

2. electricity and water was free ( that too in a largely desert country ), and libya had history's largest irrigation system, "the great man-made river" project ( gmrr ).

3. housing for any citizen was to be lived rent-free until the resident wished... rent was considered a compromise on the freedom of the citizen and therefore anti-human.

4. medical system was free, and if treatment was available outside, the costs would be borne by the system.

5. education system was free, and if that course was available outside, the costs would be borne by the system.

6. education was of one's choice and could not be forced by parents or circumstance.

7. food was at low cost.

8. any person interested in establishing a business was given a start-up amount of 20,000 dollars, interest-free.

9. all loans were interest-free.

10. no private banks operated in libya.

11. for a person not in employment, he or she was given the average salary ( stipend ) for the person's choice of field of employment... in fact, this was a coming-down in later years from the early days of the al-fatah revolution... in 1979, a unemployed person was given 7000 dollars per month !!

12. libyan jamahiriya being socialist, all wasteful traditions were frowned upon, like 600-guest four-day weddings like what happens in south asia.

13. at weddings, the bride and groom were together given 50,000 dollars to help them set up a new home etc.

14. car purchase was subsidized by the system.

in such a socialist economic/political/social system, why would any farmer suicide??

What is population of Libya ?