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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Tribal farmers resorting to suicide by S Harpal Singh

Tribal farmers resorting to suicide by S Harpal Singh

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published Published on Nov 9, 2011   modified Modified on Nov 9, 2011

Failure of crops due to continuing dry season spells doom in agency

The damning trend of farmer suicides seems to have arrived even in the agency areas of Adilabad district following the failure of cotton crop this season. As many as six of the 13 cotton farmers to have committed suicide since August 29 belong to the Banjara and Gond tribes.

This is the first time when so many suicides among tribal people has been recorded. The apparent reason is the rapid shift from traditional crops to commercial crops like cotton which failed in tribal villages like elsewhere in the district.

Of the 3.7 lakh hectares under cotton cultivation in the district over 1 lakh hectares falls within the tribal belt. Nearly 40,000 hectares of this has been a new addition thanks to land rights being given to tribal people in agency areas under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

“Many tribal farmers are shifting to cotton to avail crop loans. Banks hesitate to extend loans for traditional crops,” says Shinde Rajender of Jainoor about the growing inclination among tribal people for the commercial crop.

Atram Sungu, a 35-year-old Gond farmer from Yesuguda in Neredigonda mandal committed suicide on October 10. He had cultivated cotton in all of his 8 acres but, the crop failed miserably due to the dry spell.

Almost all the agriculture in the agency blocks is rain fed. The last day when it rained was September 18.

“The dry spell came during the most critical period for agriculture that determines the yields. The rainfall betrayed the farmers just when they thought the season will turn out to be good,” says Adilabad Assistant Director of Agriculture C. Narsingu.

“November and December months are more crucial in terms of farmer suicides. It is in these months that a majority of farmers get to harvest the crop in final stages which actually determines the actual loss or profit,” Mr. Shinde cautions.

* Shift from traditional crops to commercial crops such as cotton hits tribal farmers

* The last time it rained was Sept. 18; November and December crucial harvest season


The Hindu, 9 November, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2610251.ece


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