Presentation in workshop at Osmania University on 'Agrarian Crisis and Farmers Suicides' on 28th November, 2014

1. Crisis and way forward
Centre for Sustainable Agriculture

2. The saga of Farmers suicides
1985-86: Guntur district more than 100 farmers committed suicides
1997-99: Warangal, Karimnagar dist more than 3,000 farmers committed
suicides
2003-04: all over the state more than 2500 suicides
2004-2013: on average 2,000

3. People depending on Agriculture in India
(People in Million) (% of workers)
69.43% 29.96%
19.5%
69.9
16.69%
99.6
Indian Census 1951-2011
26.33%
22.69%
78.2 92.5
23.75%
26.38%
110.7 127.31 118.7
27.3
31.5 47.5 55.5
74.6
106.1
144.3
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
Cultivators Agriculture labour
49.93%
52.78%
43.35%
37.82%
35.24%
31.65%
24.64%
69.47% 69.68%
60.51%
58.99%
58.03%
54.6%
• People depending on agriculture has come down from 69.43% to 54.6% in last 60yrs
• For the first time the number of cultivators is lower than agriculture workers both in proportion and absolute numbers
• Between 2001-2011 about 86.10 lakh people have left farming in India which is about 2358/day
• In 2011 main cultivators (depending on farm income for more than 6 months) are only 95.8 m which is about 8% of Indian population)
Source: Census of India 1951-2011 http://www.agrariancrisis.in

4. People Depending on Agriculture
Year Total Population Rural Population Cultivators
Workers
Agriculture Other
Labourers Worker Total
s
1 1951 361.10 298.60 69.90 27.30 42.80 140.00
82.69% 49.93% 19.50% 30.57% 100.00%
2 1961 439.20 360.30 99.60 31.50 57.60 188.70
82.04% 52.78% 16.69% 30.52% 100.00%
3 1971 548.20 439.00 78.20 47.50 54.70 180.40
80.08% 43.35% 26.33% 30.32% 100.00%
4 1981 683.30 523.90 92.50 55.50 96.60 244.60
76.67% 37.82% 22.69% 39.49% 100.00%
5 1991 846.30 628.70 110.70 74.60 128.80 314.10
74.29% 35.24% 23.75% 41.01% 100.00%
6 2001 1012.40 742.60 127.31 106.10 168.15 402.23
73.35% 31.65% 26.38% 41.80% 100.00%
7 2011 1,210.73 833.5 118.7 144.3 218.7 481.7
68.84% 24.64% 29.96% 45.40% 100.00%

5. Population depending on Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh (united)
(40.87%)
(27.74 %)
(39.64 %)
(22.52 %)
(43.04 %)
(16.47 %)
(68.61 %)
(62.16 %)
(59.51 %)
• In last one decade 13,68,012 people have left farming and most of
them became agriculture workers
• This is on average 375/day

6. People depending on Agriculture
91,66,653 (55%)
(19%)
31,75,667
1,64,53,000
(37%)
59,90,986
(45%)
65,09,430
By 2022 population in the working age would be 3.12 cr, employment oppurtunities may grow only upto 1.80 cr

7. 20000
18000
16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
195
196
197
198
19
20
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
2010
201
2012
2013
Farmers suicides in India
No. of suicides
Total 2,96,466 in 19 years
Source: NCRB 1995-2013
http://www.agrariancrisis.in

8. Farmers Suicides in India, 2013
Total 11,772
Four major cotton growing states form 65% of the suicides
AP and Maharashtra form 44 %
Source: NCRB 1995-2013, http://www.ncrb.nic.in
http://www.agrariancrisis.in

9. 3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
year
195
196
197
198
19
20
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
2010
201
2012
2013
Farmers suicides in Andhra Pradesh (united)
NCRB data
Total 37,912 in 19 years
Source: NCRB 1995-2013 http://www.ncrb.nic.in
http://www.agrariancrisis.in

10. Total Farmers Suicides- 26,773
1995 to 2014 (October)
801
1143
Telugu Desam Congress TRS
735
(11,952) (14,441) (380)
1215
1550
Farmers Suicides
943 995
12451295
2030
1932
1802
1071
1575
1213
1536
1316
1600
1576
1200
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
Farmers Suicides
Source: National Crime Records Bureau (1995-2013), News Papers for 2014 http://www.agrariancrisis.in

11. Telangana farmers suicides since 2nd June to 22nd October, 2014

12. Recognised by Govt
S.No
Name of the
District 19981999200020012002200313.05.04 14.05.04 200520062007200820092010201120122013
Tota
l
1 Adilabad 8 16 23 26 20 26 4 60 60 83 48 12 13 4 0 20 0 423
2 Karimnagar 12 15 15 36 38 36 11 96 73 48 55 64 42 31 35 7 0 614
3 Khammam 1 7 0 9 4 7 2 37 23 22 7 12 2 0 0 0 0 133
4 Mahaboob nagar 4 15 20 9 22 17 4 112 57 35 30 29 17 4 1 0 0 376
5 Medak 2 1 5 5 11 25 17 92 46 30 28 33 34 29 34 4 0 396
6 Nalgonda 10 9 8 15 19 11 34 53 52 48 13 43 17 13 8 0 0 353
7 Nizamabad 1 3 6 8 24 9 8 64 27 12 17 7 10 0 0 0 0 196
8 Ranga Reddy 0 4 3 1 4 5 0 56 39 22 22 26 31 27 20 6 0 266
9 Warangal 46 78 79 95 97 77 27 112 45 32 24 11 2 0 0 0 0 725
10 Hyderabad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Telangana Grand
total 84 148 159 204 239 213 107 682 422 332 244 237 168 108 98 37 03482
Source : Department of revenue

13. Major Reasons
Increasing costs of cultivation due to
high input use
increasing costs of inputs, and lack of access to productive resources
decreasing subsidies
Stagnating yields
Soil fertility going down
Monoculture of crops
Crops spreading into areas unsuitable for them
Shift to water intensive crops leading to
Ground water depletion
Failure of tubewells
Decreasing prices
Lower MSPs
Increasing price fluctuations after opening up of markets

14. Land distribution in Telangana
Region Land owned by
5 % of families
Land owned by
60 % of families
Land less
families
Northern Telangana 32.21% 10.63% 39.26%
Southern Telangana 33.47% 4.96% 50.19%
Total 32.84% 7.80% 44.73%

15. Land holdings in Telangana

16. Landholdings in Telangana

17. District
Total cropped area
Kharif (ha) Cotton area (ha) % area
Adilabad 5,75,000.00 3,89,252.00 67.70
Karimnagar 3,93,000.00 2,56,449.00 65.25
Warangal 4,34,000.00 2,70,475.00 62.32
Nalgonda 4,54,000.00 2,10,984.00 46.47
Khammam 3,97,000.00 1,68,990.00 42.57
Rangareddy 2,02,000.00 51,138.00 25.32
Medak 4,27,000.00 96,809.00 22.67
Mahaboobnagar 8,19,000.00 1,82,469.00 22.28
Total 37,01,000.00 16,26,566.00 43.95

18. http://రైైతు స్వరాజయ్ www.agrariancrisis.in
వేదిక

19. Agriculture loans (2012-13)
Crop loans Short Term loans Allied Sector loans Total
Ranga Reddy 1,059.62 158.00 310.73 1,528.35
Nizamabad 1,474.03 532.59 274.93 2,281.55
Medak 1,061.92 241.04 343.31 1,646.27
Mahaboobnagar 2,098.43 302.00 431.86 2,832.29
Nalgonda 1,684.31 295.46 298.73 2,278.50
Warangal 1,436.43 201.7 558.55 2,196.68
Khammam 1,514.07 134.00 594.52 2,242.59
Karimnagar 2,046.19 435.43 533.00 3,014.62
Adilabad 1,255.41 204.00 63.00 1,522.41
Hyderabad 434.18 3,127.12 484.07 4,045.37
Total 14,064.59 5,631.34 3,892.70 23,588.63
Source: State Level Bankers Committee, http://www.slbcap.nic.in

21. Agriculture loans for Hyderabad (2008-13)
Year Crop loans Short Term loans Allied Sector loans Total
2008-09 657.20 - - 657.20
2009-10 935.47 625.00 1,860.00 3,420.47
2010-11 480.00 3,939.86 1,840.00 6,259.86
2011-12 245.29 2,574.71 1,874.77 4,694.77
2012-13 434.18 3,127.12 484.07 4,045.37

22. District Loan eligibility cards
issued
Farmers who
accessed loans
Total loan
received
Nizamabad 6,409 235 0.20
Medak 2009 833 2.19
Warangal 12,136 3,503 0.22
Karimnagar 9,413 2,088 7.18
Adilabad 2,947 600 1.74
Rangareddy 113 25 0.09
Mahaboobnagar 656 40 0.27
Nalgonda 3,021 979 2.49
Khammam 21,830 3,503 9.54
Total 58,534 11,806 23.92
http://రైైతు స్వరాజయ్ www.agrariancrisis.in
వేదిక

23. Loans to tenant farmers
District Loan eligibility cards
issued
Tenant Farmers accessed
loans
Total loan received
Nizamabad 6,409 235 0.20
Medak 2009 833 2.19
Warangal 12,136 3,503 0.22
Karimnagar 9,413 2,088 7.18
Adilabad 2,947 600 1.74
Rangareddy 113 25 0.09
Mahaboobnagar 656 40 0.27
Nalgonda 3,021 979 2.49
Khammam 21,830 3,503 9.54
Total 58,534 11,806 23.92

24. ఖరీఫ్ రబీ

25. Income and Expenditure of farmers
Land holding Category Total Income
(Rs/month)
Expenditure
(Rs/month)
Percent of
farmers
<0.01 Landless 1380 2297 36 %
0.01-0.4 Sub marginal 1633 2390
0.4-1.0 Marginal 1809 2672 31 %
1.0-2.0 Small 2493 3148 17 %
2.0-4.0 Semi-medium 3589 3685 10 %
4.0-10.0 Medium 5681 4626 6 %
>10.0 Large 9667 6418
Total 2115 2770 All farmers
Source: Report “On Conditions Of Work And Promotion Of Livelihoods In The Unorganised Sector” Arjun Sen Gupta Committee, 2007

26. Crop Current
support
price
(Rs/q)
Cost of
production
(Rs/ha)
Cost of
productio
n (Rs/q)
Support price
recommende
d by state
(Rs/q)
Support price
announced
by Centre
(Rs/q)
A grade paddy 1,345 1,05,209 2,104.00 3,156.00 1400.00
Ordinary paddy 1,310 1,02,480 1,708.00 2,562.00 1360.00
Jowar 1,500 28,299 1,769.00 2,653.00 1530.00
Maize 1,310 25,486 1,566.00 2,349.00 1310.00
Ragi 1,500 21,354 1,779.00 2,668.00 1550.00
Groundnut 4,000 40,509 4,501.00 6,751.00 4000.00
Soybean 2,500 52,789 2,778.00 4,167.00 2560.00
Sunflower 3,700 33,633 4,204.00 6,306.00 3750.00
Cotton (long staple) 4,000 98,896 4,945.00 6,306.00 4050.00
Cotton (short staple) 3,700 92,323 4,859.00 7,288.00 3750.00
Sugarcane 210 2,16,986 271.00 406.50 220.00

27. What is needed….
• Integrated farming systems integrating livestock, trees etc
• Agronomic innovations like high density plantation in cotton or SRI in
paddy
• Building soil organic matter, mulches etc
• Conserving moisture and Rainwater harvesting
• Locally adopted crops and varieties-millets, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables….
• Contingence planning
• Moving away from agro-chemical use

28. Changing to multiple cropping systems 28

29. 29 Switching over to ecological farming practices

30. Community Managed Sustainable
Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh
Basic Principles
Regenerative, ecologically sound practices
Organized action by communities in planning,
implementing and managing the program
Govt/ngos playing facilitating agency role
2004-05 started with 225 acres in one dist and reached 7 lakh
acres in 2007-08 in 18 dist. World Bank says this is a good tool
for poverty eradication and now promoted as part of NRLM
With 50 % development expenditure one can double the
incomes of the farmers
A national program called Mahila Krishi Sashaktikaran
Pariyojana (MKSP) is launched based on this experiencce

31. Farmers and area covered under CMSA
0.225 25 200 700
1300
2000
2800
3500 3600
0.1 15
80
300
600
1000
1500 1600 1770
2135 1997
1394 1541 1381
1015
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Acerage ('000 acres) Farmers ('000) Pesticide use (MT Active Ingradient)
http://65.19.149.140/pilots/cmsanew/index.html

32. Status of pesticide utilization in different states**
States/UTs 2004-05 2005-06 2006-072007-08 2008-09 2009-10kg/ha
2000-01
kg/ha 2009-
10
Punjab 6900 5610 5975 6080 5760 5810 0.98 0.82
Haryana 4520 4560 4600 4390 4288 4070 0.84 0.68
Andhra
Pradesh 2135 1997 1394 1541 1381 1015 0.34 0.09
Maharastra 3030 3198 3193 3050 2400 4639 0.17 0.24
Tamil Nadu 2466 2211 3940 2048 2317 2335 0.32 0.45
Gujarat 2900 2700 2670 2660 2650 2750 0.30 0.29
Kerala 360 571 545 780 272.69 631 0.31 0.26
Karnataka 2200 1638 1362 1588 1675 1647 0.17 0.14
**Source: http://ppqs.gov.in/IpmPesticides.htm MT of active ingredient

33. Average Reduction in costs and net additional
income for different crops
Crops Reduction in cost due
to NPM (Rs)
Reduction in costs due to use of
organic fertilisers/manures (Rs)
Net additional income
(Rs)
Paddy 940 1450 5590
Maize 1319 2357 5676
Cotton 1733 1968 5676
Chillies 1733 1968 7701
Groundnut 1021 3462 10483
Vegetables 1400 390 3790
3rd Party Evaluation of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) : Community Managed Organic Farming implemented by
SERP
Evaluation Team
Prof. R. Ratnakar, Director, Dr. M. Surya Mani, Professor, EXTENSION EDUCATION INSTITUTE, (Southern Region),
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India

35. Producer Co-op-1
Farmer Group B
Direct to Home
Consumer Co-op
•Healthy food
Mobile Store
•Affordable Price
•Max share to farmers Organic Store
Producer Co-op-2
Other farmers and
farmers groups
Farmer Group A
Farmer Group C
Sahaja Aharam
Cooperative Federation
•Capacity building
•Institutional building
•Investment support
•Brand building
•Qualtiy Management
•Fair Trade
Market place
Direct to resellers
Whole sale to traders
Bulk buyers
Organic Store
Processing units
Seed market
Yet to estiblish
Marketing
Agency
Value Chain
Fund

36. So…what can be done
Support farmers to switch to ecological farming
Help them to get organised for production, marketing and entitlements
Recast the support systems-research, extension, subsidies….
Increase the investment-public and private to make farming viable

37. www.csa-india.org
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www.agrariancrisis.in
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