(a) whether loss of crops and excessive loans have been the reasons
for farmers committing suicides in the country;
(b) if so, the number of farmers who have committed suicides due to
loss of crops and excessive loans during the last three years; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government to prevent crop loss and
promote agriculture in the interest of the farmers?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF
STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI ARUN YADAV)
(a) & (b): As reported by State Governments and as confirmed by various studies,
reasons for suicides by farmers are manifold which, inter-alia, include crop failure,
indebtedness, drought, socio-economic and personal reasons. While loss of crops and
indebtedness are also the reasons, these are not the only reasons for farmers committing
suicides.
Number of suicides by farmers due to agrarian reasons during the last three
years, as reported by State Governments, is given in Annexure.
(c): To prevent crop loss, Ministry of Agriculture supplements the efforts of State
Government/Union Territories through assistance provided to farmers for procuring
inputs such as seeds, nutrients, plant protection chemicals, machinery etc., under
various Centrally Sponsored and Central Sector Schemes. Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) forms the main plank of plant protection strategy for monitoring pest/disease,
production and release of bio-control agents/bio-pesticides, conservation of bio-control
agents and human resource development by organizing Farmers’ Field Schools.
To promote agriculture and improve the condition of farmers on a sustainable
basis various steps have been taken by the Government which, inter-alia, include
significant increase in public investment in agriculture sector through various schemes
such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Food Security Mission, National
Horticulture Mission, scheme for 60,000 “pulses and oil seed villages†in rain-fed areas
during 2010-11, scheme for extending Green Revolution to Eastern India, watershed
management and soil health etc. The Minimum Support Prices of major cereals have
been increased substantially during the last 5 years.
The Government of India had approved a Rehabilitation Package of Rs.16978.69
crore in 2006 covering 31 districts in 4 States viz., Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala
and Maharashtra initially for a period of 3 years to address the problem of agrarian
distress. The period for implementation of the non-credit components of the package
was extended by 2 more years i.e. up to September 30, 2011. The interest subvention for
timely repayment of crop loans up to Rs. 3 lakh has also been enhanced from 1% to 2%
for the year 2010-11. Thus, the effective rate of interest for such farmers who repay
their crop loan in time will be 5% per annum.
The Government has also implemented the Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt
Relief Scheme, 2008 benefitting about 3.69 crore farmers involving an estimated
amount of Rs. 65,318.33 crore, as per provisional figures.