Farm sector suicides rise to 12,360 in 2014: Govt

The number of people committing suicide in the farm sector -- farmers and agriculture labourers -- increased to 12,360 in 2014 from 11,772 in the previous year, Parliament was informed today.
Quoting the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kundaria said: 5,650 farmers and 6,710 agricultural labourers committed suicides in 2014.
In 2012 and 2013, total number of suicides under the profession 'self employment-farming or agriculture' were 13,754 and 11,772, respectively, he said.
"According to the NCRB report of 2014, the major causes of suicides by farmers are: bankruptcy or indebtedness, farming related issues (failure of crops, distress due to natural calamities, inability to sell produce), poverty, family problems, illness and other causes," the minister said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

He also informed that NCRB report for the year 2015 has not been published.
Earlier, NCRB was reporting the suicide cases under the profession 'self employment -- farming/agriculture'. However for 2014, the NCRB delineated for the first time the number of suicides under two categories -- farmers and agricultural labourers, the minister added.

To another query whether the centre has taken corrective measures to prevent farmers from committing suicides, the minister said state governments are primarily responsible for the development of the agriculture sector.
The Centre considers agriculture and allied sectors as highly critical for the welfare of farmers and supplements the efforts of the states through appropriate policy support, schemes and budgetary support.

Asked if funding to states for agriculture development was ineffective to address the problems of farmers, the minister said the Centre has allocated Rs 9,453.76 crore funds under various agri-schemes for the 2015-16 fiscal.
The Agriculture Ministry has been designing and adopting various schemes and programmes based on National Policy on Farmers 2007, he added.