Reasons Farmers' suicides in India

1 reasons

1.1 drought
1.2 new economic policy
1.3 gm crops
1.4 suicide idea
1.5 state government field surveys

reasons

various reasons have been offered explain why farmers commit suicide in india, including: floods, drought, debt, use of genetically modified seed, public health, use of lower quantity pesticides due less investments producing decreased yield , government economic policies. there no consensus on main causes might studies show suicide victims motivated more 1 cause, on average 3 or more causes committing suicide. panagariya states, farm-related reasons cited approximately 25 percent of time reasons suicide , studies consistently show greater debt burden , greater reliance on informal sources of credit amongst farmers commit suicide.

a study conducted in 2014, found there 3 specific characteristics associated high-risk farmers: grow cash crops such coffee , cotton; marginal farms of less 1 hectare; , debts of 300 rupees or more. study found indian states in these 3 characteristics common had highest suicide rates , accounted 75% of variability in state-level suicides.

a 2012 study, did regional survey on farmers suicide in rural vidarbha (maharashtra) , applied smith s saliency method qualitatively rank expressed causes among farming families had lost suicide. expressed reasons in order of importance behind farmer suicides – debt, alcohol addiction, environment, low produce prices, stress , family responsibilities, apathy, poor irrigation, increased cost of cultivation, private money lenders, use of chemical fertilizers , crop failure. in other words, debt stress , family responsibilities rated higher fertilizers , crop failure. in different study in same region in 2006, indebtedness (87%) , deterioration in economic status (74%) found major risk factors suicide.

studies dated 2004 through 2006, identified several causes farmers suicide, such insufficient or risky credit systems, difficulty of farming semi-arid regions, poor agricultural income, absence of alternative income opportunities, downturn in urban economy forced non-farmers farming, , absence of suitable counselling services. in 2004, in response request india biodynamic , organic farming association, mumbai high court required tata institute produce report on farmer suicides in maharashtra, , institute submitted report in march 2005. survey cited government s lack of interest, absence of safety net farmers, , lack of access information related agriculture chief causes desperate condition of farmers in state.

an indian study conducted in 2002, indicated association between victims engaging in entrepreneurial activities (such venturing new crops, cash crops, , following market trends) , failure in meeting expected goals due range of constraints.

drought

as 79.5% of india s farmland relies on flooding during monsoon season, inadequate rainfall can cause droughts, making crop failure more common. in regions have experienced droughts, crop yields have declined, , food cattle has become scarcer. agricultural regions have been affected droughts have subsequently seen suicide rates increase.

new economic policy

left leaning economists utsa patnaik, jayati ghosh , prabhat patnaik suggest structural changes in macro-economic policy of indian government favoured privatisation, liberalisation , globalisation root cause of farmer suicides. others dispute such views.

gm crops

a number of social activist groups , studies proposed link between genetically modified crops , farmer suicides. bt cotton (bacillus thuringiensis cotton) claimed responsible farmer suicides. bt cotton seeds cost twice as ordinary ones. higher costs forced many farmers taking ever larger loans, private moneylenders charging exorbitant interest rates (60% year). moneylenders force farmers sell cotton them @ price lower fetches on market. according activists, created source of debt , economic stress, suicides, among farmers. increasing costs in farming associated decreasing yields use of bt cotton seeds quoted cause of distress among farmers in central india. scholars claim bt cotton theory made assumptions , ignored field reality.

crop coverage of bio-tech cotton (also called bt cotton) , farmer suicides on time in madhya pradesh india, before , after introduction of bt cotton in 2002

in 2008, report published international food policy research institute, agriculture policy think tank based in washington dc, noted there absence of data relating numbers on actual share of farmers committing suicide cultivated cotton, let alone bt cotton. in order evaluate possible (and hypothetical) existence of connection study employed second-best assessment of evidence relating farmer suicides firstly, , effects of bt cotton secondly. analysis revealed there no clear general relationship between bt cotton , farmer suicides stated not reject potential role of bt cotton varieties in observed discrete increase in farmer suicides in states , years, during peak of 2004 in andhra pradesh , maharashtra. report noted farmer suicides predate official commercial introduction of bt cotton monsanto mahyco in 2002 (and unofficial introduction navbharat seeds in 2001) , such suicides constant portion of overall national suicide rate since 1997. report noted while bt cotton may have been factor in specific suicides, contribution marginal compared socio-economic factors. elsewhere, gruere et al. discuss introduction , increase in use of bt cotton in state of madhya pradesh since 2002, , observed drop in total suicides among state s farmers in 2006. question whether impact of increase in use of bt cotton on farmers suicide in madhya pradesh has been improve or worsen situation.

in 2011, review of evidence regarding relationship between bt cotton , farmers suicides in india published in journal of development studies, researchers ifpri, found available data show no evidence of resurgence of farmer suicides. moreover, bt cotton technology has been effective overall in india. matin qaim finds bt cotton controversial in india, irrespective of scholarly evidence. anti-biotech activist groups in india repeat claim there evidence of link between bt cotton , farmers suicides, claim perpetuated mass media. linking of farmers suicide , biotech industry has led negative opinions in public policy making process.

stone suggests arrival , expansion of gm cotton led campaign of misinformation, sides, exacerbating farmer s situation; activists have fuelled persistence of legend of failure , rejection of bt cotton sensational claims of livestock death , farmer suicide, while other side has been incorrectly pronouncing bt cotton major success based on literature inconclusive. cotton cash crop farmer s situation complex , continues evolve, suggests stone. gilbert, in 2013 article published in nature, states, contrary popular myth, introduction in 2002 of genetically modified bt cotton not associated rise in suicide rates among indian farmers .

in 2014 review, ian plewis states, available data not support view farmer suicides have increased following introduction of bt cotton. taking states together, there evidence support hypothesis reverse true: male farmer suicide rates have declined after 2005 having been increasing before .

suicide idea

patel et al. found southern indian states have ten times higher rates of suicides northern states. difference, claim, not because of misclassification of person s death. common cause suicide in south india combination of social issues, such interpersonal , family problems, financial difficulties, , pre-existing mental illness. suicidal ideation culturally accepted in south india in high-income countries. high suicide rates in southern states of india may be, suggest patel el al., in part because of social acceptance of suicide method deal difficulties. suicide ideation among surviving family members of farmers suicide victims worry. recent study shows third of suicide survivors (family members left behind) had suicide ideation in 1 month prior assessment.

state government field surveys

the government of maharashtra, concerned highest total number of farmer suicides among rural populations, commissioned own study reasons. @ behest, indira gandhi institute of development research in mumbai did field research , found top causes of farmers suicides be: debt, low income , crop failure, family issues such illness , inability pay celebration expenses daughter s marriage, lack of secondary income occupations , lack of value-added opportunities.