Lok Sabha Question No. 913 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-01
Subject: Suicide by Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: AMARINDER SINGH, B.N. CHANDRAPPA, KIRRON KHER, RAMESWAR TELI, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL, MEKAPATI RAJAMOHAN REDDY, SANKAR PRASAD DATTA, C. N. JAYADEVAN, P. KUMAR, RAJENDRA AGRAWAL, PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU, INNOCENT, RAVNEET SINGH, SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL, DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.913

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  1 ST  MARCH, 2016

## SUICIDE BY FARMERS

913.   CAPT. AMARINDER SINGH:

SHRI B.N. CHANDRAPPA:

SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER:

SHRI RAMESWAR TELI:

SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

SHRI M. RAJA MOHAN REDDY:

SHRI SANKAR PRASAD DATTA:

SHRI C.N. JAYADEVAN:

SHRI P. KUMAR:

SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

SHRI P.K. BIJU:

SHRI INNOCENT:

SHRI RAVNEET SINGH:

SHRI SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL:

SHRI D.K. SURESH:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं किसान िल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been a spurt in the incidence of suicide by farmers recently due  to  crop  failure  on  account  of  prevalent  drought  situation  in  major  parts  of  the country;

(b) if  so, the details of suicide by farmers reported in the country, so far, State/UTwise and the remedial measures taken thereon;

(c) the details of financial assistance and compensation provided to the farmers for crop loss and the families of deceased farmers in the country, State/UT-wise;

(d) the details of mechanism put in place to provide short and long term crop loans to the farmers at lesser interest rate; and

- (e) the number of debt ridden farmers in the country, State/UT-wise and the steps taken by the Government to provide income support and relief to them?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã

एवं किसान िल्याण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ Àã·¾ã ½ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIYA )

.

(a) & (b): As reported by some State Governments the number of farmers'  suicide during  the  year  2015  and  2016,  due  to  agrarian  reasons,  as  compiled  by  this Department is annexed.

The  State  Governments  initiate  necessary  relief  measures  in  the  interest  of farmers  in  the  wake  of  drought  and  other  natural  calamities  from  State  Disaster Response  Fund  (SDRF),    which  is  readily  available  with  them.  Additional  financial assistance  to  State  Government,  over  and  above  SDRF,  is  considered  for  approval under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on receipt of relief memoranda from State Governments and in accordance with extant norms and procedures.

The  Government  has  taken  several  new  initiatives  to  promote  agricultural activities.  The strategy is to focus on farmers' welfare by making farming viable.  Farm viability  is  possible,  when  cost  of  cultivation  is  reduced,  yields  per  unit  of  farm  are increased and farmers get remunerative prices on their produce.  The Department has been implementing various schemes to meet this objective.

(i) Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme by which the farmers can know the major and minor  nutrients  available  in  their  soils  which  will  ensure  judicious  use  of  fertiliser application  and  thus  save  money  of  farmers.  The  balanced  use  of  fertiliser  will  also enhance productivity and ensure higher returns to the farmers.

(ii) Neem  Coated  Urea  is  being  promoted  to  regulate  urea  use,  enhance  its availability  to  the  crop  and  reduce  cost  of  fertilizer  application.  The  entire  quantity  of domestically manufactured urea is now neem coated.

(iii) Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is being implemented with a view to promote organic farming in the country.  This will improve soil health and organic matter content and increase net income of the farmer so as to realise premium prices.

(iv) The  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchai  Yojana  (PMKSY)  is  being  implemented  to expand cultivated  area  with  assured  irrigation,  reduce  wastage  of  water  and  improve water use efficiency.

Government has also recently approved a new crop Insurance scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to replace National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and Modified NAIS (MNAIS) from Kharif 2016 season.   PMFBY has addressed all the shortcomings in the earlier schemes and would be available to the farmers at very low rates of premium. This scheme would provide insurance cover for all stages of the crop cycle including post-harvest risks in specified instances. Some salient features are:

- a) Farmers have to pay the lowest ever premium rate.
- b) There  will  be  a  uniform  premium  rate  for  farmers  for  entire  country  -  2% maximum  for  Kharif  food  &  Oilseed  crops,  1.5%  maximum  for  Rabi  food  &  Oilseed crops and 5% maximum for Annual Horticultural/Annual Commercial crops.
- c) The remaining financial burden will be borne by the Government.

- d)            Famers  will  get  full  insurance  cover  -  there  will  be  no  'capping'  of  the  Sum Insured and consequently, claim amount will not be cut or reduced.
- e) For  the  first  time,  inundation  has  been  included  under  localized  risk  cover,  in addition to hailstorm and landslide. Individual farm level assessment of crop loss will be done for this.
- f) For  the  first  time,  post  harvest  losses  arising  out  of  cyclones  and  unseasonal rains through out the country have been covered.
- g) For the first time, emphasis has been given to mobile and Satellite Technology to facilitate accurate assessment and quick settlement of claims.
- h) Crop  Insurance  Portal  has  been  launched.    This  will  be  used  extensively  for better administration, co-ordination, dissemination of information and transparency.
- i) Coverage of areas to be increased from 23%, at present to 50% in 2 to 3 years.

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, 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.

(c): Agriculture  is  a  State  subject  under  the  Constitution  and  therefore,  State Government  take  appropriate  measures  for  development  of  Agriculture  Sector  and Welfare  of  Farmers  including  payment  of  compensation  to  the  bereaved  families  of farmers affected by suicide.

(d) & (e): The Government provides interest subvention @ 3% on short-term crop loans up to Rs.3.00 lakh.  Presently, loan is available to farmers at interest rate of 7% per  annum,  which  gets  reduced  to  4%  on  prompt  repayment.  Further, under  Interest Subvention Scheme 2015-16, in order to provide relief to the farmers on occurrence of natural calamities, the interest subvention of 2% shall continue to be available to banks for  the  first  year  on  the  restructured  amount.  The  benchmark  for  initiating  relief measures by banks has also been reduced to 33% crop loss in line with the National Disaster Management Framework.

## Annexure

## Number of Suicides by farmers due to agrarian reasons as reported by State Governments

|   Sl. No. | State/ UT         | 2015   | 2016   | Reported on   |
|-----------|-------------------|--------|--------|---------------|
|         1 | Andhra Pradesh    | 58     | NR     | 28-01-2016    |
|         2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 0      | NR     | 17-02-2016    |
|         3 | Assam             | 0      | NR     | 02-02-2016    |
|         4 | Bihar             | 1      | NR     | 13-08-2015    |
|         5 | Chhattisgarh      | 3      | NR     | 16-11-2015    |
|         6 | Goa               | 0      | NR     | 01-12-2015    |
|         7 | Gujarat           | 3      | NR     | 28-01-2016    |
|         8 | Haryana           | 1      | NR     | 14-07-2015    |
|         9 | Himachal Pradesh  | 0      | NR     | 16-02-2016    |
|        10 | Jammu & Kashmir   | NR     | NR     |               |
|        11 | Jharkhand         | NR     | NR     |               |
|        12 | Karnataka (F/Y)   | 107    | NR     | 22-07-2015    |
|        13 | Kerala            | 1      | NR     | 30-06-2015    |
|        14 | Madhya Pradesh    | 0      | NR     | 03-06-2015    |
|        15 | Maharashtra       | 725    | 57     | 18-02-2016    |
|        16 | Punjab #          | 449    | NR     | 05-02-2016    |
|        17 | Telangana *       | 342    | NR     | 20-02-2016    |

NR - Not reported, #  includes suicides of farmers and also labourers, due to various reasons

* includes suicides during  the year 2014.

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