Open Forum

New Delhi, 23 September 2015

Epidemic Of Farmers’ Suicides

AGRICULTURE TURNING NON-LUCRATIVE

By Moin Qasi

Farmers’ suicides which have become a common phenomenon typify the malaise that plagues the hobbling Indian agrarian economy. In Maharashtra spiraling debts have sapped the financial strength of marginal and small farmers. In the State’s northern Yvatmal district, many agriculturists began their journey into debt with a bank loan or credit from a moneylender to plant the first crop of Bt cot­ton.

In the belief that Bt cotton would give them better yields. Their first crop failed due to lack of sufficient water or as rains were either early or late resulting in plants turning red with lalia, against which Bt cotton offers no protection.

In debt, after losing their first crop of BT cotton, the farmers took a bigger risk by trying again. Realising, a normal cotton crop couldn't save them, they felt it was better to gamble and hope for a bumper crop. The second crop too failed or delivered inferior results. Some tried a third time, others killed themselves. 

Notably, the high number of farmers taking their own lives is a complex story that surprisingly few have tried to unravel.  Questionably, why are farmers committing suicides? Undeniably, the answer lies in a combination of factors such as crop failure, shifting to more profitable but risky (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.

Also, lack of non-farm opportunities, unwillingness to adapt to scientific practices, non availability of timely credit from a formal channel, absence of proper climate/ incentive for timely repayment of bank loan, etc.  At some places even where water is available farmers can’t exploit it fully due to insufficient power supply. 

Besides, huge expenditures on children’s education, money required for health or marriage etc are also major contributors for stress in the farming community.  Add to this, inconsistency of rainfall during monsoon, absence of support mechanism for marketing of agriculture produce have also contributed to uncertainty and financial risk of farmers.

Moreover, economic reforms and the opening of Indian agriculture to the global market over the past two decades have increased costs, while reducing yields and profits for many farmers, leading to great financial and emotional distress.  As a result, smallholder farmers are often trapped in a debt cycle.

Further, during a bad year, money from the sale of cotton crop might not cover even the initial cost of the inputs, let alone suffice to pay the usurious interest on loans or provide adequate food and necessities for the family.  Often the only way out is to take more loans and buy more inputs, which in turn lead to even greater debt.  Underscoring that indebtedness is a major and proximate cause of farmer suicides in the country.

These genetically modified seeds Bt seeds are sterile since GM varieties contain a special page form which one can stretch to six. Pertinently, in order to buy GM seeds, some farmers got into unmanageable debt while others were crippled by fluctuations in food prices.

Worse, when the going got tough some ended their lives. Yet, suicide is a taboo subject, notwithstanding suicides by newly married young women are reported and investigated by the police. Additionally, only when survey teams visit a household farmers are likely to report a suicide.

Importantly, subsidies which once were the linchpin of India’s economic policy have now virtually dried up for all, but producers of staple food grains. Whereby the farmers now must compete or go under. To vie many have turned to high-cost seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, which now line the shelves of even the tiniest village shops.

Furthermore, there is a tendency to be dismissive of a farmer’s life struggles by asserting two words: Go organic. As a principle it sounds perfect. But it is not that simple. A farm which has been hammered with years of chemical abuse needs some detox time in order to qualify for an organic standard certificate.

This translates in to three years of organic farming without the perks of selling at organic prices! Likewise, for farmers who are below the poverty line the fear of lower yield is enough to keep them on smack.

Clearly, all chatter of restoring soil quality, rationalisation of aquifer use, protecting forests as catchment areas or securing the land and livelihood of the tribal poor is just glib talk.

Forget the so-called green concerns which are often ridiculed as Luddites’ fad, the apparent big thrust on agriculture rings astoundingly hollow without any attention to the recommendations of the 12th Plan to address the soil health crisis. The suicidal fertiliser subsidies continue, encouraging farmers to use chemical fertilisers in even larger quantities, triggering rapid soil degradation.

There is no talk or funds as of now to try natural alternatives to revive the dying fields. Thanks to Monsanto blasting through and taking over the seed market, other cotton seed varieties have died on the vine and are hardly available anymore in cotton growing regions like Vidarbha, Maharashtra and other parts of India.

In the ultimate, we must keep in mind that farmers have been growing cotton for centuries and were always able to eke out a living when they were using conventional seeds, which are suited to the region and don’t need much water, because there isn’t any.

As it stands, agricultural markets remain heavily regulated, and because there are few facilities to process agricultural products, almost every crop has to be exported to another State, something beyond the capacity of small farmers. They sell cheap to middlemen who harvest far greater profit across State lines.

Indisputably, it is silly to attempt to develop 600,000 villages, this just cannot be done. The future results in deserted villages as people vote with their feet and when they get a chance, move to a city. There in no gainsaying, that only in very rich economies do people have the resources to live comfortably in villages. India cannot afford to live in villages; it is not that rich. ----- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)