Farmer suicides are one of the most challenging issues in India, an agrarian country where agriculture employs 48.9% of the population. According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, 296,438 Indian farmers committed suicide between 1995 and 2014. Despite numerous efforts by the Indian government to empower farmers and strengthen their economies, farmer suicides today remain a significant issue in India. Farmer suicides represent a distressing and persistent issue in various parts of the world, with India being one of the most affected nations. These tragic occurrences stem from a complex interplay of economic, environmental, social, and psychological factors that push many farmers to the brink of despair. 

This topic of "Farmer Suicide" is essential from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Paper 3 (Mains) particularly in the Agriculture section of the UPSC Exam. In this article, we shall discuss the Farmer Suicides in India, Its Causes, Recent Statistics, Government Initiatives, way forward, and More!

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Farmers Suicides - NCRB Report 2021

Every two hours in 2021, an agricultural labourer committed suicide, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.

• In 2021, 5,563 agricultural labourers committed suicide in India, an increase of 9% from 2020 and around 29% from 2019.
• There were 5,107 males and 211 females among the 5,318 farmer/cultivator suicides.
• According to the report Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, Maharashtra had the most suicides (1,424), followed by Karnataka (999) and Andhra Pradesh (584).

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Basic Facts Related to Farmer Suicides

The agrarian distress that plagues the rural economy of many states across the nation is an unfortunate contributor to farmer suicides.

• In India, the term "farmer suicides" refers to farmers who committed suicide as a result of "bankruptcy or indebtedness," "family problems," "crop failure," or "illness," the four most common causes of suicide among male farmers.
• Seven states in the country, including Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, account for 87.5% of farming sector suicides.
• Maharashtra had the highest number of farmer suicides in the nation (2,489) from January 1 to November 30, 2021, and 2,547 in 2020.
• Even Punjab, which benefited the most from the Green Revolution, has seen a rise in farmer suicides. 4687 farmer suicides from Punjab were reported between 1995 and 2015, with 1334 suicides reported from the district of Mansa.
• Farmer suicides have been reported in the highest numbers in Maharashtra's Vidarbha district in recent years.

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UPSC Previous Year Questions

Mains

Q1. What are the main bottlenecks in the upstream and downstream processes of marketing agricultural products in India? (UPSC Mains 2022, GS Paper 3).

Q2. How did land reforms in some parts of the country help to improve the socioeconomic conditions of marginal and small farmers? (UPSC Mains 2021, GS Paper 3).

Q3. How do subsidies affect the cropping pattern, crop diversity, and farmers' economy? What is the significance of crop insurance, minimum support price, and food processing for small and marginal farmers? (UPSC Mains 2016, GS Paper 3).

Q4. Establish relationships between land reforms, agricultural productivity, and elimination of poverty in the Indian economy. Discuss the difficulties in designing and implementing agriculture–friendly land reforms in India. (UPSC Mains 2016, GS Paper 3).

Facts and figures about Farmer Suicides for UPSC

Here are some key facts about Farmer Suicides in India for the UPSC Exam:

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Farmers and the Indian Economy

Agriculture is critical to the Indian economy. Agriculture and allied sector activities employ 54.6% of the total workforce (Census 2011) and account for 17.8% of the country's GVA. Approximately 80% of farmers in India are classified as marginal (less than 1 hectare) or small (1-2 hectares).

• Agriculture dates back to the Neolithic period in India. India ranks second in the world in terms of agricultural output. Agriculture employed more than half of the Indian labor force and contributed 19.19% of the country's GDP, according to the 2020-21 Indian Economic Survey.
• India is the world's second-most populous country. In order to feed such a large population, there is always a constant need for a supply of food, so there is a need for agriculture as well as a need for less reliance on the agriculture sector for the economy.
• The agriculture sector employs both rural agricultural and non-agricultural workers.
• It is essential in international trade and import and export activities.
• India's agriculture sector is critical to the industrial sector and to trade both internally and externally. Tea, coffee, spices, coconuts, sugar, rice, cashew nuts, and other edible agro-products, as well as textile products like jute and cotton, account for 50% and 20% of total country exports, respectively.
• There is a constant supply of raw materials in product manufacturing, and most industries in the country collect this raw material directly from agricultural fields to meet this demand.
• Agricultural-based industries generate roughly half of India's income from industrial sectors. As a result, India's industrial sector is heavily reliant on agriculture.

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Recent Statistics about Farmer Suicides in India

More than 53,000 people who worked in agriculture committed suicide between 2017 and 2022. Approximately 28,600 (55%) were farmers. According to the NCRB 2021 report, there have been the most farmer suicides since 2017.

Here is a year-wise summary of reported suicides in India's farming sector from 2017 to 2022, based on data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB):

• Maharashtra was the worst-affected state in 2021, with at least 4,064 agrarian suicides, 2,640 of which were farmers.
• Five states in India – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu – accounted for roughly 80% of the total farming sector and approximately 85% of farmer suicides.

Data for 2023–2025:

As of now, the NCRB has not released official data for the years 2023 to 2025. The latest available comprehensive data pertains to the year 2022.

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Preliminary Data for 2024

In the first half of 2024 (January–June), Maharashtra reported 1,267 farmer suicides. The Amravati division in the Vidarbha region accounted for 557 deaths, followed by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division with 430 deaths.

Data Availability

Comprehensive state-wise data for 2023 and 2024 will be available upon the release of the NCRB's annual "Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India" reports. For more detailed and updated information, you can refer to the NCRB's official publications.

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Causes for Farmer Suicides

Following the green/white revolutions, Indian agriculture has made commendable progress, with food grain production reaching a record high in 2017-18. India is now self-sufficient in most agricultural products. However, farmers are a disappointed lot even at the height of farm output. Despite a spectacular increase in agricultural production, Indian farmers remained impoverished.

• Farmer suicides are a complex issue with multiple causes.
• Economic distress is a significant factor, with low crop prices and high debt burdens.
• Crop failures due to factors like drought, floods, and pests can lead to financial hardship.
• Lack of access to credit and financial services can leave farmers vulnerable.
• Changing weather patterns and climate-related challenges affect crop yields.
• Inadequate government support, including subsidies and insurance, is a concern.
• The burden of repaying loans to private moneylenders can be overwhelming.
• Social factors like family and societal pressure contribute to stress.
• Mental health issues, including depression, often go unaddressed.
• Limited alternative livelihood opportunities in rural areas add to the problem.

According to some experts, the leading causes of farmer suicides in India include monsoon failure, crop failure, bankruptcy or indebtedness, family problems, illness, government policies, and other socioeconomic issues.

Increase in farm input costs

In India, the increasing burden on farmers caused by inflated agricultural input prices has been a significant cause of farmer suicides.

• Cost of land preparation (Tillage).
• Cost of seeds and chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides.
• Agricultural equipment costs – such as tractors, pumps, etc., add to the rising cost of inputs.
• Cost of irrigation – such as electricity, labourers, diesel, etc.
• Costs of harvesting – such as threshing, reaper, and manual labor.
• Cost of farm fencing – Including Pliers, Strainers, Wire, Gripples, etc.

Debt burden

• According to NCRB data, 2474 of the 3000 farmer suicides examined in 2015 had unpaid loans from local banks.
• The NCRB's data also shows a strong link between farmer suicides and debt.
• Farmers borrow money to invest heavily in crops. Farmers will become indebted if their crop fails due to a lack of rain or insufficient market demand.
• Additionally, Small farmers frequently borrow money from moneylenders. In exchange, they are commonly forced to sell their produce to money lenders at a lower-than-market price. Furthermore, small farmers have a difficult time obtaining bank loans.

Water crisis

• Groundwater loss in India threatens the ability of millions of farmers to grow crops.
• India has 600 million farmers and accounts for about 10% of global agricultural output. They mostly use deeper tube wells to draw water from underground to irrigate their crops.
• Groundwater in north India has decreased by 8.8 crore acre-feet in the last decade, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
• Already, nearly two-thirds of India's districts are threatened by falling groundwater levels.

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Climate change

• Climate change is also affecting farmers and agriculture in India. Crop losses have occurred as a result of unpredictable monsoon systems, flash floods, and other natural disasters.
• In the last three decades, there has been an increase in the frequency of extreme rainfall events as well as a rise in the mean temperature across all of India.
• Every year, heavy rains and floods in Indian states damage agriculture and horticulture crops.

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Dependency on Monsoon

• India, a subtropical nation with 15 different agroclimatic zones, depends heavily on the southwest monsoon. Nearly 140 million hectares of India's 329 million hectares are net sown area, with 70 million hectares being rain-fed.
• Farmers in India benefit from good monsoon rains, which result in a high crop yield.
• As a result, Indian farmers remain highly vulnerable to the monsoon, as low rainfall can significantly reduce agricultural output.

Stray animals

• Crops grown by farmers, including mustard, potato, wheat, and barley, that are worth lakhs of rupees each year, are damaged by stray animals.
• Farmers who invest in fencing to protect standing crops from monkeys and stray animals have incurred additional costs.

Government Initiatives to enhance the life of Farmers

Farmers have always been our country's backbone, and the Indian government is working to strengthen this backbone through innovative and solid measures. The government has launched several new initiatives, including:

• Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC)
• Neem Coated Urea
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)
• Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
• PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana
• PM-Kusum Scheme
• Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna (DDUGJY)
• Farm loan waivers
• National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
• Minimum Support Price (MSP)
• One Nation, One Fertiliser scheme
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)
• National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

Way Forward

• Providing access to institutional financing for all farmers, particularly those in poverty, in order to break the debt cycle, as well as effective monitoring to ensure that the poor farmer receives the loan.
• Increasing crop insurance coverage, developing farm infrastructure, boosting tech-enabled productivity, and opening the industry to market forces and open trade can all benefit farmers in the long run and be a better option.
• A fair share of rapid mechanization activities and farmer incentivizing measures can be carried out to improve the sector's technological rigor and resilience.
• Early or delayed rains, a shorter crop cycle, and an increase in temperatures are all signs of how climate change has adversely affected farming activities. The need to protect our farmers from the adverse effects of climate change has become an urgent challenge in many states.
• Governments (Central and state governments) can also help farmers by providing input cost subsidies, storage facilities, logistical support, capacity-building programs, public reinsurance to insurers, and establishing a legal and regulatory framework.

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