(a) whether an assessment has been made to determine the number of women farmers who have
committed suicide during the last three years;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) if not, the time by when the Government proposes to make such an assessment;
(d) whether the Government proposes to develop suicide prone districts into special
agricultural zones as suggested by the Swaminathan Commission; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE(SHRI KANTI LAL BHURIA)
(a) to (c): State Governments do not report the number of suicides committed by the women
farmers separately.No assessment has been made by Ministry of Agriculture to determine the
number of women farmers who have committed suicides during the last three years.However, a
diagnostic study on “Farmers’ suicidal deaths in Andhra Pradesh State†by National Institute of
Agricultural Extension Management,Hyderabad,observed that the majority of the sample victims
were the male folk.Similarly,as per the study titled “Farmers’ Suicides in Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka†by National Institute of Rural Development,Hyderabad,it was observed that 04 suicides
out of 40 suicides in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh were women farmers and in the state
of Karnataka, the number of women farmers’ suicide was 01 out of 22 suicides.
(d) & (e) : As part of the Rehabilitation Package for the farmers in suicide prone districts,
the Ministry of Agriculture has proposed to declare the Kuttanad Wetland Eco-system in
Kerala as Special Agricultural Zone. There is no other proposal to develop suicide prone
districts into special agricultural zones.