How to Stop Suicides of Farmers

Reasons for suicides of farmers are well known. The basic reason being inability to pay back debt. This is related to productivity and financial management. Although the Government have made many provisions and made available inputs to farmers, the farmer is not able to take advantage of the same. Also the help and encouragements provided by the Government does not reach the farmer in full. Sizeable portion gets diverted in the chain. Farmer does not complain because whatever he gets is free. Farmer is happy to receive even a meagre portion of the amount simply because it is free and does not know the amount authorised on paper.

This challenge needs to be faced using Six point formula viz,

1. Research
2. Education
3. Training
4. Help
5. Rewards
6. Market Rates

Research

Considerable work has been done and still being done in research field. Sizable number of variety of seeds have been developed. A major problem is faced in taking this research work to farmers. In my opinion there is a need to change Government policy in this regard. Government should take responsibility to experiment research findings on ground. The Government should take plots of land in every village on contract basis for a period of Two or Three years from farmers. The Government should guarantee minimum output what had been in that plot in preceding years (average of Three years may be the right amount). Research findings may be implemented on the plot and convince farmers that it is productive. Experience gained during experiment must be properly, carefully and in details noted for explaining how it should be done and what are probable obstacles. This way farmers shall be motivated to implement research findings in practice and also the worth of research work shall be established.

In addition a team of private experts should be available for giving appropriate advise to the farmers. An Institute of Agriculture advisers may be constituted on line with other institutes like Institute of Engineers etc. Members of this institute should provide advise to farmers on payment basis.

Education

Information is available in books, periodicals, magazines, daily papers, internet, compact disks, and through many sources. To assimilate this information and to put it in use needs understanding language. Language of 'farming'. Knowing English or Hindi or Marathi or any other established language is inadequate. A person may be knowing say English. However that does not mean that person can understand medicine, engineering, computer science and all other technology or science. Each of these has its own language. script and many words may look similar but there are specific words for each of the subjects. Knowing these specific words, understanding these and putting in practice means expertise in that language. All farmers should have basic education i.e. HSSE passed. A new subject should be introduced covering agriculture, the Government schemes, financial management, research work, all aspects of farming. Initially it could be a single subject and later divided in specialisation in farming. A potential farmer must become an expert when he/she passes HSS Examination. Unless this basic education is given no farmer can understand modern technology and cannot effectively put it in practice. A diploma in farming may be the next step to make the farmer perfect. Those who wish to do higher specialisation may join an agricultural university for further studies.

Training

With basic education a farmer can understand technology. However technology advances every day. Changes in technology need to trickle down to the farmers. Agriculture Training Institutes on lines of Industrial Training Institutes are needed to make farmers confident in his/her profession. Also there is a need to refresh knowledge of farmers from time to time. Therefore training facilities (short refresher courses, workshops etc.) must be available to farmers at a close distance.

Help

Presently assistance in provided in terms of subsidies and soft short term loans. We consider our farmers are experts in modern technology and they can show their productivity with just this assistance. Unfortunately this is not true. Big scale industries are in a position to import new technology and take advantage in productivity. Indian farmer is not in a position to take any risk and goes by old methods of farming with some modifications here n there. This needs to be changed by reworking methods of assistance.

Firstly there is no need to offer subsidies. These benefit only rich farmers. Instead list of inputs for small scale farmers should be worked out. The list should contain those inputs used in agriculture by small farmers only and no where else. These may be in terms of fertilisers, insecticides, water management, agricultural implements, consultancy fees and so on. Government should neither charge excise duty nor sales tax. In fact no body should charge any type of tax on these items. This way inputs can be made cheaper.

Soft loans should be given by the system which purchases agricultural produce for marketing. This way recovery would be easier and guaranteed. Marketing system  and banking system should work in such a way that quick loans are offered and recovery is hundred percent.

Small farmers are not in a position to experiment. There should be a system which takes in to consideration soil, available water and other environments and advise farmers for crop planning. This may need soil testing laboratories, system for insecticides, system for supervision of the crop and provide advise. The Government should guarantee minimum produce to the farmer. This may not be required for indefinite period. However, in the beginning say for Five or Seven years this may be necessary.

Present system of assured prices or the Government buying produce at certain decided price is not a productive solution. Resources provided for this are unproductive. Naturally, the Government has to face losses year after year. This may be replaced with facilities for storage. Private sector may be encouraged to construct storage facilities and offer to farmers on least possible rent. Farmers should sell their produce at appropriate time to get maximum possible from their produce.

Presently a fixed amount of money is offered to families of those farmers who end their life prematurely. This can be interpreted as 'If a farmer wish to end his indebtedness he/she should end own life' This is definitely not a acceptable solution. Instead all those farmers who are not in a position to pay their debt should be offered long term interest free loan, all advise needed for better productivity, inputs needed, storage facilities for the produce and similar assistance. The entire amount realised on sale of produce should be deposited in his/her bank account. Farmers requirements for sustaining his family and for inputs for succeeding year should be estimated and that amount be authorised to be withdrawn by the farmer periodically. This may appear like spoon feeding a child. However the present day farmer is not properly educated and trained for financial management. This may not be needed indefinitely but needed in present circumstances.

As regards present cases of  'suicide' successors of the farmer be given assistance on above lines.

Rewards

Rewards encourages a person to become an expert. his encouragement is needed for some time at least. Farmers should be rewarded for better financial management and productivity at all levels i.e. village, taluka, district, state and Nation.

Market Rates

It is a responsibility of the Government to help farmers to earn surplus over their labour and expenditure. Present system offers a minimum guarantied price as approved by Lok Sabha and or Vidhan Sabha. There are many drawbacks in present system and hence, a new system must be evolved.

Solution of this problem lays in making farmers self reliant for storage of their produce till the produce gets adequate price. Therefore it is necessary to make available adequate resources to the farmers for proper storage and their own maintenance till farm produce is sold. This needs ready cash on loan with low interest rates.

Construction of storage facilities need money and more than that maintenance of the storage facilities need heavy efforts. Government may not be in a position to construct and maintain storage facilities. Also it is not desirable that the Government assume this responsibility directly. However, farmers can obtain loans from banks and construct right type of storage in their own villages. Government should help in getting these loans at low interest rates. Government should offer to pay part of interest direct to banks. Such a share should be available from date of completion of the storage facility i.e. from the date the facility is put in use. Payment of government share of interest should be for a specific period say 3 years. Thereafter the farmers should pay full interest amount to banks. Provision also may be made to recover amount paid by the Government toward interest after certain period of time say, 5 years. The basic aim should be to make the farmer self reliant and not a beggar.

While constructing storage facility community storage complex should be encouraged. Farmers may make co-operative society preferably for the whole village and construct facilities in one place. There may be secured partitions and it may be divided in units for each of the farmers. There may be some centralised facilities like anti-rat guards, cold storage plants, security etc. However, each of the farmers must have his own secure place for his own produce.

After making storage facilities to farmers, next requirement is to make them strong with liquid cash from time to time for their own maintenance and inputs needed for the next crop. Banks should offer loans with security of farm products. Requirement of loan amount may be decided based on principle of ‘Maximum’ Farmer does not require entire amount at one instant. Necessity arises on more than one occasion. So payment should be made at different stages agreed between farmer and the bank. A procedure may be decided for this purpose and followed. There may be a requirement of bankers establishing their branch in every village or cluster of villages within a small distance say 2 km. Such a branch must know and control transactions from the storage. Farmer must pay part of the loan and interest based on the percentage of the material sold by the farmer at any time during life of the loan.

Government also should help farmers to decide on which crops they should select during a year. Farmers keep on producing sugarcane and cotton simply because they know they can sell these to government at assured price. Political parties take advantage of the situation to push through party propaganda. Political parties are in dire need of simpler problems to show off their concerned towards their vote bank.

Government is taking high risk and avoidable responsibility in offering guaranteed price for farm products. Present system provides clutches to farmers, but is not useful in making farmers self reliant. A view should be taken to find a long lasting solution rather than disaster help.

This way Government shall help farmers to become self reliant with minimum risk on part of the Government.

Summary

Education and training are the base for the solution. The Government needs to concentrate on this. The other solutions are needed only during transit time. This solution does put stress on administration. Some of this can be outsourced to private sector. A thorough study shall lead to the best solution for present and for future.