Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Farmers' suicides in Punjab: Looking beyond indebtedness -Sher Singh Sangwan

Farmers' suicides in Punjab: Looking beyond indebtedness -Sher Singh Sangwan

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Sep 5, 2017   modified Modified on Sep 5, 2017
-The Times of India

Punjab, the leader of green revolution during the '70s, has become disreputable for farmers' suicides in last two decade or so. Usually, these suicides are attributed to farmers' indebtedness to banks and commission agents.

However, it is to be noted that bank credit has played a pivotal role in investment into tubewells, tractors, farm mechanization, horticulture, dairy, poultry and forestry all over India, and especially in Punjab and Haryana. Besides, Punjab is ahead of other states in availing production credit with about 20 lakh Kisan Credit Cards as against its 10.5 lakh operational holdings.

KCC is most convenient mode due to its cash credit facility and lower rate of interest. Its effective rate of interest up to Rs 3 lakh is 4 per cent, if repaid in time. The outstanding bank credit per hectare (ha) as on March 2016 works out to be Rs 1,95,182 in Punjab, which is about three times of Rs 62,026 of national average.

Higher bank credit in Punjab may be due to its higher irrigation level of 98% and cropping intensity of 189% as compared to 47.7% and 142% across India. Even the yield per ha of main crops of paddy and wheat was at 8,122 kg in Punjab in 2014-15, the pan India figure being 5,031 kg. It amply proves that banks have financed more in Punjab due to farmers' higher creditworthiness and least risk of yield and price in the main crops because of 100% irrigation and assured minimum support price. Question there arises: Whether the facility of cheaper bank credit to farmers should be restricted or should one look for reasons for farmers' woes elsewhere.

Reasons for farm distress

Firstly, in Punjab, the paid out expenses for cultivation of rice and wheat are the highest. Their increase over time has been revealed in the studies. Most of the operations for growing rice and wheat from tilling to harvesting have been mechanized. Farmers have to pay out in cash for purchasing diesel, inputs and hiring labour. Secondly, level of tenancy in the state is very high with leased-in land being between 40% and 50% of the operated area. Thirdly, the leased rent is very high ranging up to Rs 50,000 per acre which is added to the paid out cost.

It is to be noted that the rent was pushed up due to high basmati paddy prices in the wake of its increasing export during the period 2007 to 2013. Though, the peak basmati price of Rs 4,500 per quintal in 2013 has crashed in the past three to four years but the high land rent has stuck due to stiff competition among tractor owning farmers. Therefore, whenever there is downfall in income due to crash in prices or yield loss in crops due to dieses and natural calamity, the tenant farmers is unable to repay the rent and are pushed to suicidal situation.

Besides, lifestyle of rural households is fast changing with use of all comfort items like private vehicles, good housing, entertainment items and lavish marriages in costly halls all over Punjab. The expenditure on health and school education has also increased with deterioration in quality services in government hospitals and schools. Owing to these compelling reasons, the author found during his survey that besides crop expenses, 10% farmers have used KCC amount for constructing new houses, 58% supplemented their miscellaneous household expenses and 23% spent it on marriage of a child, 10% on education of children and 6% on sending some member of family abroad.

Alternate remedies for needy farmers

First of all, it is to be understood that all farmers of Punjab are not in crisis. A recent study of Punjab Agricultural University brought out that debt serving capacity, i.e., surplus income after cultivation expense and domestic consumption expenditure was sufficient for farmers above 5 acres and even small farmer (SFs) were having surplus income to partly repay the loans.

Please click here to read more. 

The Times of India, 4 September, 2017, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/farmers-suicides-in-punjab-looking-beyond-indebtedness/articleshow/60353847.cms


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close