-Live Mint In an unprecedented move, farmers in East Godavari and adjoining districts of Andhra Pradesh declared a crop holiday last season, refusing to cultivate paddy in this fully irrigated region of the state. Farmers say the reason for this drastic step is that cultivating paddy has become unremunerative and they are left with no other choice. The agrarian crisis and its neglect by successive governments are responsible for the low...
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Banks should lead the war on poverty by MS Swaminathan
At BANCON (annual bankers' conference) 2011 in Chennai, financial institutions explored avenues for greater participation in agriculture and rural development. There are a few areas in need of additional attention and investment. Green Revolution technologies are scale-neutral but not resource-neutral. Inputs are needed for output; therefore market-purchased inputs become important in providing soil and plant healthcare for higher yields. Social scientists point out that small and marginal farmers will be excluded...
More »Tribal farmers resorting to Suicide by S Harpal Singh
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...
More »One more farmer commits Suicide
-The Hindu One more debt-ridden farmer reportedly committed Suicide in Wayanad district on Tuesday morning. The Meppadi police identified the deceased as Varghese alias Raju, 45, of Pulparambil at Nedumbala Pallikkavala near Meppadi. The family members found him in a critical condition in his house on Monday night. Though he was rushed to a private hospital, he died. The police said Varghese may have consuming poison out of disappointment over crop loss. His relatives...
More »In season of high prices, farmer kills himself for fear of poor returns
-The Telegraph A debt-ridden farmer killed himself in Burdwan last evening after complaining of poor prices for his produce — a seemingly incongruous reality in the middle of a countrywide uproar over rising prices. Madhab Ghosh, 62, perhaps the first farmer whose Suicide has been reported since the Mamata Banerjee government took over in May, drank pesticide around 6pm at his home at Jatka village in Raina, Burdwan. Madhab cultivated seven bighas or...
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