Lok Sabha Question No. 143 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-11
Subject: Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: ANANDRAO  ADSUL, KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN, JITENDRA CHAUDHURY, Shrirang Appa Barne, LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV, DHARMENDRA YADAV, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, M. B. RAJESH, PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 143

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11 TH  DECEMBER, 2018

## AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

143. SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

SHRI K.N. RAMACHANDRAN:

SHRI JITENDRA CHAUDHURY:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI LAXMI  NARAYAN YADAV:

SHRI  DHARMENDRA YADAV

SHRI ADHALRAO  PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

SHRI M.B. RAJESH:

DR.  PRITAM  GOPINATH MUNDE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has reliable statistics on farmers' suicide in the country  and is  monitoring  the  data relating thereto, if so, the details thereof and the reasons for farmers' committing  suicides  during  each  of  the  last  four  years,  alongwith    the    remedial    measures taken by  the  Government  in  this  regard, State-wise;
- (b) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  primary  reason  for  half  of  the  farmers'  suicides  is  debt burden/ loans  and  11,458  farmers' suicides  were  recorded  in  2016  in  the country, if so, the details thereof and the action  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard;
- (c) whether    the    Union    Government  has  formulated  schemes  keeping  in  mind  the problems of the farmers and if so, the details  of  such  schemes  formulated  to increase the income of farmers during the last three years;
- (d) whether the  Union  Government has reviewed these schemes in view of the hardships faced by the farmers and if so, the outcome thereof; and

(e) whether  the  Government  has increased  the  Minimum  Support  Price recently and if so, the extent to which it will benefit the farmers?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  PARSHOTTAM  RUPALA)

- (a)  &  (b):  The  National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  under  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs compiles and disseminates information on suicides, in its publication titled 'Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India' (ADSI). These Reports on suicides are available upto 2015 on its website. Contd..2/-

The Reports for the year 2016 onwards have not been published as on date.  However, NCRB has provided data relating to suicides for the year 2016 (provisional) to this Ministry.  As per the ADSI Reports which where published for the years 2013 to 2015, the total numbers of suicides by farmers and agricultural labourers in the  country State-wise is annexed. As per provisional data for year 2016, the number of suicide  by farmers and agricultural labourers as come down from 12602 in 2015 to 11370 (provisional in 2016, approximately by 9.77%).

As  per  NCRB  Reports  for  the  year  2014  and  2015,  the  main  causes  of  suicides  by farmers  and  agricultural  labourers  are  Bankruptcy  or  Indebtedness,  Farming  Related  Issues family problems, illness, etc.

(c) & (d): Agriculture being a State subject, the State Governments are primarily responsible for the growth and development of agriculture sector and developing perspective plans for their respective States and  ensuring effective  implementation  of  the  programmes/  schemes. However,  Government  of  India  supplements  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments  through various Schemes/ Programmes.

The Government is targeting to double the income of the farmers by the year 2022.  To achieve  this,  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers'  Welfare  has  taken  a number of measures.  The Government is aiming to reorient the agriculture sector by focusing on  an  income-centeredness  in  addition  to  pure  production  centeredness  approach.  The Department is, therefore, implementing various schemes to meet this objective, viz. Soil Health Card   (SHC) scheme, Neem Coated Urea, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Pradhan Mantri  Krishi  Sinchai  Yojana  (PMKSY),  National  Agriculture  Market  scheme  (e-NAM)  and Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY),  Pradhan  Mantri  Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan Abhiyan  (PM-AASHA),  Interest  subvention  schemes  and  Kisan  Credit  Card  Schemes.  The Government  is  also  implementing  several  centrally  sponsored  Schemes  viz.  National  Food Security Mission (NFSM); Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH); National Mission on Oilseeds & Oilpalm (NMOOP); National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA); National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology (NMAET) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for enhancing production and productivity and development of the sector as a whole.

(e): MSP  for  various  agricultural  commodities  have  been  progressively  increased  by  the government to incentivize farmers to bring more area under cultivation of crops and to invest on increasing the productivity. Giving a major boost for the farmers' income, the Government has increased  the  Minimum  Support  Prices  (MSPs)  of  all  kharif  crops  for  2018-19  Season. This decision of the Government is a historic one as it redeems the promise of the pre-determined principle  of  fixing  the  MSPs  at  a  level  of  at  least  150  percent  of  the  cost  of  production announced by the Union Budget for 2018-19.

Further  the  Government  undertakes  procurement  of  wheat  and  paddy  under  its  'MSP operations'.  In  addition,  Government  implements  Market  Intervention  Scheme  (MIS)  for procurement of agricultural and horticultural commodities not covered under the Minimum Price Support Scheme on the request of State/UT Government. The MIS is implemented in order to protect the growers of these commodities from making distress sale in the event of bumper crop when the prices tend to fall below the economic level/cost of production.

## Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 143 due for 11.12.2018 Statement in respect  of Part (a) of the Question regarding 'Agriculture and Farmers Welfare'

| Sl. No.   | State/UT          | 2013   |
|-----------|-------------------|--------|
| 1         | ANDHRA PRADESH    | 2014   |
| 2         | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 37     |
| 3         | ASSAM             | 305    |
| 4         | BIHAR             | 127    |
| 5         | CHHATTISGARH      | 0      |
| 6         | GOA               | 1      |
| 7         | GUJARAT           | 582    |
| 8         | HARYANA           | 374    |
| 9         | HIMACHAL PRADESH  | 33     |
| 10        | JAMMU & KASHMIR   | 18     |
| 11        | JHARKHAND         | 142    |
| 12        | KARNATAKA         | 1403   |
| 13        | KERALA            | 972    |
| 14        | MADHYA PRADESH    | 1090   |
| 15        | MAHARASHTRA       | 3146   |
| 16        | MANIPUR           | 1      |
| 17        | MEGHALAYA         | 5      |
| 18        | MIZORAM           | 6      |
| 19        | NAGALAND          | 2      |
| 20        | ODISHA            | 150    |
| 21        | PUNJAB            | 83     |
| 22        | RAJASTHAN         | 292    |
| 23        | SIKKIM            | 35     |
| 24        | TAMIL NADU        | 105    |
| 25        | TELANGANA         | NA     |
| 26        | TRIPURA           | 56     |
| 27        | UTTAR PRADESH     | 750    |
| 28        | UTTARAKHAND       | 15     |
| 29        | WEST BENGAL       | 0      |
| 30        | A & N ISLANDS     | 5      |
| 31        | CHANDIGARH        | 0      |
| 32        | D & N HAVELI      | 15     |
| 33        | DAMAN & DIU       | 0      |
| 34        | DELHI (UT)        | 8      |
| 35        | LAKSHADWEEP       | 0      |
| 36        | PUDUCHERRY        | 0      |
|           | TOTAL (UTs)       | 28     |
|           | TOTAL (ALL INDIA) | 11772  |

SUICIDE BY PERSONS SELF-EMPLOYED IN FARMING/AGRICULTURE

|    |                   | 2014    | 2014      | 2014   | 2015    | 2015      | 2015   |
|----|-------------------|---------|-----------|--------|---------|-----------|--------|
|    | State/UT          | Farmers | Labourers | Total  | Farmers | Labourers | Total  |
| 1  | ANDHRA PRADESH    | 160     | 472       | 632    | 516     | 400       | 916    |
| 2  | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 0       | 3         | 3      | 7       | 3         | 10     |
| 3  | ASSAM             | 21      | 38        | 59     | 84      | 54        | 138    |
| 4  | BIHAR             | 0       | 10        | 10     | 0       | 7         | 7      |
| 5  | CHHATTISGARH      | 443     | 312       | 755    | 854     | 100       | 954    |
| 6  | GOA               | 0       | 0         | 0      | 0       | 0         | 0      |
| 7  | GUJARAT           | 45      | 555       | 600    | 57      | 244       | 301    |
| 8  | HARYANA           | 14      | 105       | 119    | 28      | 134       | 162    |
| 9  | HIMACHAL PRADESH  | 32      | 31        | 63     | 0       | 46        | 46     |
| 10 | JAMMU &KASHMIR    | 12      | 25        | 37     | 0       | 21        | 21     |
| 11 | JHARKHAND         | 0       | 4         | 4      | 0       | 21        | 21     |
| 12 | KARNATAKA         | 321     | 447       | 768    | 1197    | 372       | 1569   |
| 13 | KERALA            | 107     | 700       | 807    | 3       | 207       | 210    |
| 14 | MADHYA PRADESH    | 826     | 372       | 1198   | 581     | 709       | 1290   |
| 15 | MAHARASHTRA       | 2568    | 1436      | 4004   | 3030    | 1261      | 4291   |
| 16 | MANIPUR           | 0       | 0         | 0      | 1       | 0         | 1      |
| 17 | MEGHALAYA         | 0       | 2         | 2      | 2       | 1         | 3      |
| 18 | MIZORAM           | 0       | 5         | 5      | 0       | 1         | 1      |
| 19 | NAGALAND          | 0       | 0         | 0      | 0       | 0         | 0      |
| 20 | ODISHA            | 5       | 97        | 102    | 23      | 27        | 50     |
| 21 | PUNJAB            | 24      | 40        | 64     | 100     | 24        | 124    |
| 22 | RAJASTHAN         | 0       | 373       | 373    | 3       | 73        | 76     |
| 23 | SIKKIM            | 35      | 0         | 35     | 15      | 3         | 18     |
| 24 | TAMIL NADU        | 68      | 827       | 895    | 2       | 604       | 606    |
| 25 | TELANGANA         | 898     | 449       | 1347   | 1358    | 42        | 1400   |
| 26 | TRIPURA           | 0       | 32        | 32     | 1       | 48        | 49     |
| 27 | UTTAR PRADESH     | 63      | 129       | 192    | 145     | 179       | 324    |
| 28 | UTTARAKHAND       | 0       | 0         | 0      | 0       | 2         | 2      |
| 29 | WEST BENGAL       | 0       | 230       | 230    | 0       | 0         | 0      |
| 30 | A &NISLANDS       | 8       | 0         | 8      | 0       | 0         | 0      |
| 31 | CHANDIGARH        | 0       | 0         | 0      | 0       | 0         | 0      |
| 32 | D &NHAVELI        | 0       | 0         | 0      | 0       | 0         | 0      |
| 33 | DAMAN&DIU         | 0       | 0         | 0      | 0       | 0         | 0      |
| 34 | DELHI (UT)        | 0       | 0         | 0      | 0       | 0         | 0      |
| 35 | LAKSHADWEEP       | 0       | 0         | 0      | 0       | 0         | 0      |
| 36 | PUDUCHERRY        | 0       | 16        | 16     | 0       | 12        | 12     |
|    | TOTAL (UTs)       | 8       | 16        | 24     | 0       | 12        | 12     |
|    | TOTAL (ALL INDIA) | 5650    | 6710      | 12360  | 8007    | 4595      | 12602  |

Source : Report on 'Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India' for relevant years, National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs

State/UT wise number of suicides committed by persons engaged in farming sector during 2016 (Provisional)

| Sl. No.   | State / UT        | Agricultural Labourers   | Farmers/ Cultivators   | Suicides in Farming Sector (Total)   |
|-----------|-------------------|--------------------------|------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|           |                   | A                        | B                      | (A+B)                                |
| 1         | ANDHRA PRADESH    | 565                      | 239                    | 804                                  |
| 2         | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 0                        | 6                      | 6                                    |
| 3         | ASSAM             | 64                       | 06                     | 70                                   |
| 4         | BIHAR             | 0                        | 0                      | 0                                    |
| 5         | CHHATTISGARH      | 97                       | 585                    | 682                                  |
| 6         | GOA               | 1                        | 0                      | 1                                    |
| 7         | GUJARAT           | 378                      | 30                     | 408                                  |
| 8         | HARYANA           | 159                      | 91                     | 250                                  |
| 9         | HIMACHAL PRADESH  | 14                       | 0                      | 14                                   |
| 10        | JAMMU & KASHMIR   | 21                       | 0                      | 21                                   |
| 11        | JHARKHAND         | 0                        | 3                      | 3                                    |
| 12        | KARNATAKA         | 867                      | 1212                   | 2079                                 |
| 13        | KERALA            | 298                      | 23                     | 321                                  |
| 14        | MADHYA PRADESH    | 722                      | 599                    | 1321                                 |
| 15        | MAHARASHTRA       | 1111                     | 2550                   | 3661                                 |
| 16        | MANIPUR           | 0                        | 1                      | 1                                    |
| 17        | MEGHALAYA         | 3                        | 2                      | 5                                    |
| 18        | MIZORAM           | 7                        | 0                      | 7                                    |
| 19        | NAGALAND          | 0                        | 0                      | 0                                    |
| 20        | ODISHA            | 101                      | 20                     | 121                                  |
| 21        | PUNJAB            | 49                       | 222                    | 271                                  |
| 22        | RAJASTHAN         | 39                       | 4                      | 43                                   |
| 23        | SIKKIM            | 2                        | 12                     | 14                                   |
| 24        | TAMIL NADU        | 345                      | 36                     | 381                                  |
| 25        | TELANGANA         | 13                       | 632                    | 645                                  |
| 26        | TRIPURA           | 18                       | 4                      | 22                                   |
| 27        | UTTAR PRADESH     | 115                      | 69                     | 184                                  |
| 28        | UTTARAKHAND       | 3                        | 0                      | 3                                    |
| 29        | WEST BENGAL       | 0                        | 0                      | 0                                    |
| 30        | A&NISLANDS        | 0                        | 3                      | 3                                    |
| 31        | CHANDIGARH        | 0                        | 0                      | 0                                    |
| 32        | D&NHAVELI         | 0                        | 0                      | 0                                    |
| 33        | DAMAN & DIU       | 0                        | 0                      | 0                                    |
| 34        | DELHI (UT)        | 0                        | 0                      | 0                                    |
| 35        | LAKSHADWEEP       | 0                        | 0                      | 0                                    |
| 36        | PUDUCHERRY        | 27                       | 2                      | 29                                   |
|           | TOTAL (ALL INDIA) | 5019                     | 6351                   | 11370                                |

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