Eight more Vidarbha Farmers suicides reported in last 72 hours –VJAS urge urgent Central Relief Aid to 3 million wet-drought hit farmers

Eight more Vidarbha Farmers suicides reported in last 72 hours –VJAS urge urgent Central Relief Aid to 3 million wet-drought hit farmers

Nagpur-24^th September, 2010

Heavy rain and cotton soybean crop failure due to excessive water logging resulting ‘root rot disease’ and other pest attacks over 42 lakhs hectors in vidarbha effecting more than 3 million distressed and debt trapped crisis hit vidarbha farmers, has been main cause of fresh restarting farm suicide spiral as eight more farmers suicides have been reported in different part of suicide prone districts

Recent victims of vidarbha agrarian crisis are –

1. JIVAN KHEWALE of ZULLAR in YAVATMAL

2. NAMDEO KUKADKAR of KOLZARI in WARDHA

3. PANDURANG BHONDAVE of SHINDI in NAGPUR

4. PREMLALA SOTHAWANR of VIHIRGOAN in GONDIA

5. VITHALRAO DHOTE of KAWADAPUR in CHANDRAPUR

6. TIKARAM WANJARI of MANPUR in YAVATMAL

7. DIGAMBAR THAKARE of MALKHED in YAVATMAL

8. VINAYAK SHIRNAKE of AMAGOAN in WARDHA

Taking toll 595 farmers suicides in year 2010 Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti(VJAS )informed in press release today

‘Heavy rain spoiled the complete cotton crop in more than 3 million hector resulting huge economic losses to tune of more than Rs.4000 crore ,adding fuel extreme despondency, despair and accumulated actuate deep distress restarting the unfortunate spiral of farm suicides in west vidarbha as per report reaching here due to very heavy rain and Bt. Cotton failure causing as result of excessive water logging resulting ‘root rot disease’ which has spoiled Bt. Cotton crop in record 110 lakhs hectors in India .’Tiwari added.

This is clear cut sign of severe agrarian crisis in the region because of the fact that for kharif season 2010-11 area under cultivation of Bt.cotton is above 32 lakhs hectors in vidarbha alone and record rain and massive floods in cotton cultivating areas has damaged most of standing Bt.cotton crop and excessive rain has jumped the cultivation cost to double, but expected yield is likely to reduce to 50% resulting more than Rs.27,000 crore huge financial losses to Indian cotton growers, hence our demand to raise cotton MSP of Rs.4500/- per quintal to compensate farmers accumulated losses ,it need of the hour , Kishor Tiwari of VJAS added.

Recent announcement of Union Agriculture ministry has added fuel in the on going agrarian crisis in cotton growing region of India through it’s price-fixing arm - Commission for Agricultural Pricing and Costs (CACP) that the prevailing minimum support price (MSP) of cotton will be unchanged for this khariff season 2010-11,as Earlier Vidarbha cotton farmers are demanding the increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of cotton from the current Rs.3,000 a quintal to Rs. 4,500 high lighting the steep rice in cultivation cost and heavy losses and damaged most of the standing Bt cotton crop due to Excessive rains ,that healing touch will save agrarian economy of region and will help to stop cotton farmers suicides in the region ,Kishor Tiwari added.

“Distressed and dying farmers needs food security ,health facility to critically ill members of distressed farming community and provision for direct financial assistance to daughter marriage along with free fodder and potable water but till date only promises are given ,not relief resulting these farmers suicides” alleged Kishore Tiwari of VJAS.

‘we are expecting central intervention to stop this mass genocide of innocent farmers who are victims of wrong policies promoted by state as in dry land area rain sensitive crop like Bt.cotton is being cultivated in more than 95% causing huge financial losses to the cotton farmers and water crisis in the area. We have demanding the ban on rain sensitive crop in this region and promotion of food crop in all rain fed area of vidarbha since 2004 but nobody is giving any attention to this serious demand resulting more and more farm suicides in the region’ Tiwari added,

"Only a price of 4,500 can help cotton growers tide over the difficult situation caused by excessive rains, we will ask all parties to help cotton growers of India,” VJAS stressed in press release today.