Farmers suicide in north Maharashtra: A sign of agrarian crisis and indebtedness

Abstract

Farmers are suffered from agrarian distress and committing suicide in India. A relatively large number of small and marginal operational holdings, rainfed and seasonal nature of farming have creating many issues before farmers. The rain dependent cotton growing farmers are faced issue of declining profitability because of dumping of cotton prices in international market, low import tariff and rapid increase in cost of cultivation in Jalgaon district of North Maharashtra. Similarly, Grapes, Onion and vegetables etc. high value crops growing farmers facing problem of crop failure because of unseasonal rainfall and fluctuating profit due to price fluctuations in Nasik district. Thus farmers are facing profit reduction and income uncertainty in North Maharashtra. Moreover, high proportion of selected victims had under pressure of indebtedness and committed suicide for permanent steeping out from pressure of debt return. This paper mainly focuses on economic situation of suicide victim farmers in North Maharashtra.