Tag: GS 3 || Economy|| Agriculture || Agricultural Production & Productivity

Why In News?

• Farmer suicides, which have till now been studied economically and agriculturally, are now being looked at from behavioural and psychological angles.

 Study on farmer’s suicide

• A study is being conducted under the National Agricultural Science Fund of IICAR in three states — Punjab, Telangana and Maharashtra.
• The study has looked at it from behavioural, psychological and cultural perspectives in addition to the earlier two.

 Major causes of suicide

• Since most discussions and parleys on suicides are overtaken by issues of crop failures, rising debts, new farming techniques, the psychological aspect is largely ignored.
• One of the major causes behind suicidal intent is depression, found the researchers.
• It needs to be understood that at times a farmer under a debt of Rs 2 lakh shows a tendency to end his life, while another under a debt of Rs 10 lakh does not.

Psychological assistance

• The study suggested roping in psychologists and counselors on various issues.
• They included battling depressive ruminations, suicidal ideations, negative cognitions, hopelessness, helplessness.
• It aimed at recognising and managing stressors like financial distress, relationship problems, and enhancing psychological resources through emotional well being, and mindfulness.

 Model of 7’s

• The researchers developed a ‘7D’ model of triggering and confounding factors and a ‘7R’ model of preventive and protecting factors to deal with the problem of farmer suicides.

‘7D’ model

• Drugs,
• Debt,
• Disease,
• Disputes,
• Depression,
• Disrepute and
• Death

‘7R’ model

• Remunerative agriculture,
• Resilience building,
• Rational expenditure,
• Reassurance through connectivity,
• Righteous conduct,
• Religious support and
• Responsible reporting

Way forward

• Farmers don’t need money only, they need motivation
• Along with subsidies, increased farm profits, the focus should also be on resilience building and problem solving skills of farming families.
• In suicide-prone states, agricultural institutes and scientists should start distributing seeds of resilience, tolerance and contentment among farmers, suggested researchers.
• Agriculture universities can play a powerful role in dissipating the culture of shame associated with mental illness and depression as it is the fear of stigma that acts as a barrier to seek appropriate treatment.
• Policies of integrated pest management to prevent pest damage
• Lower fertilizer costs
• Precision farming techniques like SRI (Systematic Rice Intensification) must be encouraged.
• Subsidies must be rerouted towards capital generation and entrepreneurial Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs).
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)must be encouraged in the agricultural sector, particularly towards capacity-building, skill development and the establishment of CHCs.
• Cooperative farming
• Doubling the farmer income

Farmers’ Suicides – What do the facts say?

• The list includes farmers-cultivators and agricultural labourers.
• Seven states account for 5% of total suicides in the farming sector in the country. The states are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
• Both marginal farmers and small farmers are committing suicide.
• Maharashtra is the worst affected state.
• Ironically, Punjab, which benefited most from the Green Revolution, also presents a depressing picture of farmer’s suicides in India. Between 1995-2015, 4687 farmers’ suicides have been reported from the state of Punjab of which 1334 from one Mansa district alone.

Mains  Question

How to prevent farmers from committing suicides in India?