Question : SUICIDE BY FARMERS

(a) whether a large number of farmers have committed suicide in the country during each of the last three years;

(b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise along with the reasons therefor;

(c) whether incidents of suicide by the farmers is alarming due to glut in cotton sales, decline in cotton export, crop failure and inability of farmers to payback their loans in various parts of the country including Gujarat and Maharashtra during the last six months, if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has conducted any survey on inde- btedness of farmers in the country, if so, the findings thereof; and

(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to prevent the farmers from committing suicide and ameliorate their financial condition in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE ( SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA )

(a) & (b): State-wise details of number of farmers who committed suicide due to agrarian distress during the last three years, as reported by States/ Union Territories are Annexed. Reasons of suicide by farmers as reported by State Governments, are manifold which, inter-alia, include crop failure, indebtness, drought, socio-economic and personal reasons.

(c):Change in the China policy for bare minimum of import quota as per the WTO agreement and cotton glut world-wide, resulted in subdued demand and declining trend domestically as well as internationally, leading to steep fall in cotton prices, in the current cotton season of 2014-15.

(d) & (e): Government of India has not conducted any such survey but to protect the interest of the cotton farmers and to avoid distress sale, government agencies are undertaking massive procurement in all the cotton growing States, including Gujarat and Maharashtra. Agriculture is a state subject under the Constitution and therefore, the State Governments take appropriate measures for development of agriculture sector and welfare of farmers. Government of India supplements the efforts of States through appropriate policy and budgetary measures. Government of India has also taken several steps to revitalize the agriculture sector and improve condition of farming community on sustainable basis by increasing investment, improving farm practices, rural infrastructure and delivery of credit, technology and other inputs, extension, marketing, etc. For this, various programmes/schemes for the development of agriculture sector are being implemented in a decentralized manner with flexibility to State Governments to formulate and implement appropriate projects to suit their specific requirements. The focus of Government is primarily on increase of farm income, creation of non-farm income opportunities, improvement in productivity of rainfed agriculture, increasing coverage of farming areas under protective irrigation and forging appropriate backward and forward linkages. Other measures taken by the Government for the benefit of farmers include enhancement of minimum support prices of agricultural commodities, increase in credit flow to agriculture sector, debt waiver/relief, interest subvention on crop loans, revival package for strengthening Short Term Rural Cooperative Credit Structure.