Farmer Suicides

FARMER SUICIDES IN INDIA

Abstract:

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the various reasons for the farmer suicides in different states in India and examine the outcomes as a result of suicides.

Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents results of a contingent valuation study done on the findings of a survey carried out in six states in India. The survey will be done on over 500 farmers after explaining the concept of various subsidies given by the Government of India and the existing difficulties faced by farmers. The survey included questions on factors, which could have a bearing on the farmers’ dependence on weather, the middleman problems, etc.

Findings: The paper would bring out the major issues that are not addressed by the government and how it could reduce the number of suicides in India.

Originality/Value: This paper would give us an in depth understanding about the common problems persistent in the different states and how new schemes can be introduced to help the famers.

Keywords: Farmer suicides, Agriculture, India

Introduction:

It has long been recognized that suicide rates are high in rural India, but routine death registration could not reliably assess how high they truly are. Many deaths are not registered at all, especially in rural areas, because of an inefficient civil registration system and non-reporting of deaths; also because of legal and social consequences associated with suicide some of the registered deaths that were in fact due to suicide might be attributed to some other cause on the death certificate.

In recent years, a large number of farmers’ suicides have been reported, mostly

resulting from the consumption of toxic pesticides by farmers. According to some official statistics, between 2001 and the summer of 2007, more than 4,500 cases of farmer suicides had been reported in the four states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala (Mukherjee 2007). Other sources have reported much higher...